Broken Code
by ForLoveorMoney
Summary: Ana Maria has always lived life the way she wanted. She wanted the Pearl. She has it. She wanted Jack's affection. It's hers. What happens when she must abandon all she has ever considered family? Ana abandoned Jack. No one's ever broke the code like her.
1. Chapter 1

"Ana please, don't do this love." He said making the infamous face that would make Ana Maria's heart melt.

" I've got to Jack." She said, clearly not falling for the face,

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"But you can't,"

"Oh, but I can."

He pranced for the door of the cabin that he shared with the stubborn woman. His stubborn woman,

"I won't let you. You're-You're my pirate and my pirates stay here on the _Pearl_, and that's final."

She rolled her eyes. "Jack, please move from the door."

"No."

"Jack you're only makin' it harder for me."

"That was the original plan, yes."

"Jack, move!"

"No!"

"Jack!"

"No!"

"Move!"

"No!"

She finally got in between him and the door and forced it open and ran out to the deck.

"Hello, Ana."

"Mr. Gibbs." She said in a mean tone that wasn't intended for him.

"Why such a foul mood lass?"

"Jack."

"Oh, have another spat did you?"

"He doesn't want me to leave the ship."

"Well, I don't want you to go either lass, you're a pirate, and a damn good one at that. But, still want you to do whatever does your heart good, and if your heart dudn't lie with the _Pearl_, so be it."

"I thought it was bad luck to have a woman a board the ship?"

"Aye, but it be far worse, not to have her." Quote from the good captain himself,"

She smiled. It sounded like something Jack would say.

"If you excuse me a moment, I'ma tell the captain we're commin' up at port."

"Missed the Mast!" She heard something squawk.

She turned around to see Cotton's Parrot. She sighed and rembered when he'd started calling her that it was since her accident two years ago. It was during a bad hurricane, they were raiding another ship when the opposing ships' mast was struck by lightning causing it to fall during boarding. It fell a half inch away from Ana Maria's position, proving to her that miracles really do happen.

She ruffled his feathers. "I'm going to miss the parrot." She thought to herself.

"Alright mates, let's make this quick. I don't want a long stay at Singapore, savvy?"

"Aye Captain." A couple members of the crew murmured in agreement.

Most of the crew loaded the escape the boat, Jack being the last to get on. He sat down next to Ana Maria.

" 'Ello love,"

"Captain." She said looking the other way.

"Mind if I ask a question?"

"Neva stopped ya before."

"What is it you plan on doin' when you get to Singapore, and the _Pearl_ sails away?"

"Not much of ya business, now is it Captain Sparrow?" She said looking him in the eyes.

" I think I deserve to know, a member of my crew is goin' safe,"

"I don't have a plan, if you must know."

"Ah, I must say Sinapor is the best town on the planet, to not have a plan. Some of my best work there actually."

"I know Captain."

"Ana." He said in a serious tone.

"Yes Captain?"

"You'd tell me if something was wrong right?"

"Yes, of course Captain."

"Okay then,"

They took her to shore and stocked up on various items and a couple of days later _The_ _Black Pearl _set sail, without Ana Maria. She watched it leave her only thought being how she broke the Pirate's Code.

_Never lie to your Captain._


	2. Life when it's all said and done

It's been two months since The Black Pearl had set sail away from Singapore, Ana had managed to build a life for herself, she was working in a barter's store for room and board and then for money to eat on she watched the barters' son since his wife had passed away shortly before Ana Maria had came to him looking for work. The boy reminded her of Jack, everything reminded her of Jack and the Pearl. She didn't know how much she was going to miss it when she left, it was all she could do to keep the depression at bay, so she tried not to think about it.

Jack, however, did not fare so well without his first mate. He stayed locked in his cabin, which didn't help ease the pain of Ana Maria being gone, as this was where she resided as well, but he couldn't face the crew like he was, he just couldn't. Most Captain's would fear a mutiny, but not Jack. Jack left crew issues to Gibbs, and Gibbs did a great job to keep the rumors away from the Captain's ears, but he couldn't silence all of the talk.

"Missed the Mast!" Squawked Cotton's parrot. " Missed the Mast!"

"Aye, I wonder about her too,"

"Some say she's cursed herself, and left the Pearl to keep it from spreading."

"I bet the Captain banned her from the Pearl."

"Why would he do that? Ana was his first mate."

"Maybe he feared she'd mutiny against him, Barbossa and all."

"Maybe Ana's just gotten tired of the Pirate's ways, eh boys?" Gibbs called from the wheel.

Gibbs was getting tired of Ana Maria's good name getting thrown to the sharks by her own crew, nevertheless she left without any explanation and sometimes he found himself wondering, maybe Ana was planning a mutiny, or she was cursed, or some ridiculous tall tale such as that.

Once he got the ship into good sailing waters, he went to go visit Jack. He hoped he was doing better today, hell he just hoped the good Captain didn't grieve himself to death. Cause with no Captain and no first mate, the ways of a pirate would set in on the crew, and a bloody fight would break out.

He knocked on the door before walking in. "Good Morning Captain," He said shutting the door behind him to prevent any curious souls from hearing a word of conversation.

He looked over at the Captain, out cold with a bottle of rum in his hand that was hanging dangerously low to the floor. Gibbs sighed and pried the bottle out of the Captain's hands and sat it on the table.

"Captain. Wake up." He said shaking him.

Jack murmured something like 'no' and rolled over. Gibbs shook his head, and knocked a book off the table. "Captain, look it's Ana!"

"Really?" He said sitting up quickly.

Gibbs smirked and sat down in the chair. "How are you doin' Jack?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Sorry to disappoint you Gibbs," He said standing up and stretching.

"You've yet to disappoint me Jack, but you have confused me."

"Yeah, 'ow I manage 'at?" Jack had managed to fool Gibbs for a little while that he wasn't drunk, but it wasn't working anymore, but Gibbs ignored it.

"It's been two months since Ana left,"

"Aye,"

"Well let's go back to Singapore and check on her! The whole crew knows somethin's up."

"I aint goin'. She dun't want the Pearl, then the Pearl dudn't want 'er."

"What about you Jack? Do you want 'er?"

"No. She can rot' in good ol' Singapore fer' the hell I care"

"Now Jack, you don't mean that." He said surprised that those words came from Jack.

"What are ye' Gibbs me muther?"

"I'm yer' friend Jack."

"Well be a frien' and leave me be." He said pointing towards to door.

"If I leave this room Jack I'm setting sail for Singapore."

"No."

"Yes Jack, I'll see ya when yer' sober."

"Gibbs!"

Gibbs shut the door and Jack slumped back on the bed. Damn Ana Maria, for this. He was supposed to put her memory to the Pearl's rutter and the sea would ease his pain. Like the sea always has... The sea. That was it, the sea would bring Ana Maria back to him. The call of the sea would get to her eventually, as it did to all Pirates.

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Ana Maria was awoken by a loud knocking the door. She slowly stood up and headed for the door as the intruding person continued to bang on the door.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

"Come on lass I ain't got all day!" She heard her boss yell from the other side of the door.

She opened the door. " Good Morning Mr. Townsend." She greeted her boss formerly then she bent down to the boys level. " Hi Thomas." She greeted him sweetly.

"Ana!" He yelled throwing his arms around her so she'd pick him up.

"Aye, Mornin' Lass, I have a question for ye' "

"What would that be sir?" She asked settling the young boy on her hip.

"I'm going to be gone for the rest of the night, would you mind keepin' the boy until I return in the morning?"

"Not a problem sir,"

"And the shop would you mind closin' tonight?"

"Sure, is there somebody down there, cause I can't very well keep up with Thomas and watch the store, too many thieves these days."

"Don't I know it Lass. Katrina's down there for today, she has to leave early though, I told her to tell you when she left."

"Okay sir,"

"You're pay as well, I'll pay you three shillings an hour, as well as replace anything the lad breaks."

"Now, there's no need for that. Thomas is a well behaved boy, aren't ya Thomas?"

"Yep. Yep."

"Alright. Son, I'll be leavin' now. You best behave for Ms. Maria alright?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright, I'll see you both later Lass,"

"Bye Mr. Townsend,"

"Bye Daddy!"

After Mr. Townsend left she sat Thomas back down on the floor. "Alright boy, what'd you want to do today mm?"

"I wanna go down to the docks and see the ships!"

"We did that yesterday love,"

"But we can do it again!"

"Let's do something different."

"How about..we go over and see what Jonesy is doing!"

"Do we have to go over to Jonesy's today Thomas?" She begged the child. Jonesy was what Thomas called one his playmates named Alex Jones, and Alex Jones's father was a doctor, and Dr. Jones always tried to get Ana Maria to let him examine her after he found out the last she'd been to a Doctor was five years ago when she was sixteen years old.

"Yes! I haven't seen him in ages!" he said grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the door.

"Tommy you're five years old! How many ages could you possibly have!"

"Daddy says I have a lot."

She smiled at the boy. "Thomas have you eaten this mornin'?" She enquired, sometimes Mr. Townsend was in such a rush he didn't think about Thomas's feeding schedule. Being in the rush he was in this morning Ana Maria had a strong feeling his answer was going to be 'no' .

" I'm not hungry Ana!" He said having a Jack Sparrow moment, as Ana liked to think of them.

"Of course not the only thing you're thinking about is subjecting dear ol' Ana to Jonesy's Daddy."

"I think it's funny."

"Oh you think so?"

"Jonesy says he fancies you!" He said making kissing sounds.

She smiled at the boy. "Come on son, let's go get you a bite to eat,eh?"


	3. Just a memory

After she and Thomas had a bite to eat, she took him to the long dreaded location. As much as she protested to see Dr. Jones, it was no reason for Thomas to not be able to see his friend. She knocked on the strong oak door of the well built house for the age.

"Ah, Ms. Maria and Thomas, what a pleasant surprise." Greeted Dr. Jones.

"Hello, sir." Ana Maria greeted, ushering Thomas inside.

"Hi, Dr. Jones!"

"Hello Thomas, Alex is in his bedroom, if you wish to see him."

"Aye, sir!"

"Thomas, you know how your Father feels about that kind of talk!" She called after the boy as he ran down the hall, leaving her to the company of good old Dr. Jones.

"How are you doing today Ms. Maria?"

"I'm fine, and yourself?"

"Well between my practice and Mrs. Jones, there is never a dull moment, if I do say so myself."

"I can see how that would be true sir,"

"Are you settling well into Singapore?"

"Yes, very well. Mr. Townsend has been really good to me and Thomas acts like he's known me since he was born, I've been really lucky"

All of a sudden Ana Maria started feeling woozy, and stumbled back a few steps.

"Ms. Maria? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just need to sit down."

Oh great! Exactly what she needed, exhibiting signs of sickness in front of a Doctor. It wasn't that she didn't like Doctor's. She just hated going to see one, because she was afraid they would find something wrong with her and it would keep her from the, from the sea. Damn it, she was starting to hear it. The call of the sea.

"Ms. Maria? Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you if you'd eaten this morning."

"Yes. I took Thomas for a bite to eat before we came."

"Okay, what are your other symptoms?"

"Really Dr Jones, I'm fine. Just a spell."

"Spells like that can cause severe brain damage dear. I really would like to know what's happening to you, as your friend."

"I've been working a lot, I think it's just exhaustion."

"Okay, if it happens again, please tell me. I can have you fixed up in no time, and since your new in town it won't cost you a thing."

"I appreciate the offer Dr. Jones."

" Speaking of being new in town. Where's your hometown? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm from Tortuga."

"I've never been, but it sounds like a decent town."

"I wouldn't take Thomas there. No place for a child."

He went to go check her pulse on her wrist and she pulled back from him.

"It's alright, just want to check your heartbeat." He reassured her before going for her arm again.

"I told you I'm fine." She insisted.

"Ana,"

"Seriously Dr. Jones, I'm okay."

"Alright then." He said giving in. Then there was a loud banging on the door and Dr. Jones rushed to get it and she stayed in the living room.

"Are you the Doctor 'ere?" She heard a familiar voice ask panicked.

"Yes sir, what can I do for you?"

"My Cap'n. He's broken into a terrible fit, he's had a fever for the last few hours."

"Well sir, I'm not supposed to be treating Pirates here." Dr Jones started.

"Let them through!" Ana Maria yelled, running up to the door to see Gibbs and the rest of the crew.

"Ana!" Gibbs said in surprise, what in the name of Davy Jones was she doing in a Doctor's office?

"Ms. Maria?" He asked in disbelief, Ana Maria was for the most part a reserved woman.

"Please Dr. Jones, for me?" She asked with begging eyes. Not in her wildest dreams would she think of begging Dr. Jones for anything, but Jack made her do crazy things.

"Okay, bring him back here." Dr. Jones said leading the way into his practice. "Ana Maria, would you mind the children around these men?" He had no idea that she was one of these men. That this was her family, and the man's life that was currently in peril was her lover, and if she had anything to do with it, he never would. She was Mr. Townsend's shopkeeper and nanny. That was it.

"Okay."

She ran back into the children's playroom. Where they had toy swords out playing ,Pirates of all games.

"Hey guys." She said regaining her composure as to not scare the kids. "What are ya playin'?"

"Pirates!"

"Thomas says he's going to be a Captain of his own ship one day!"

"Shhh! Jonesy, I told you that was a secret!" He said shying away from Ana Maria.

"Thomas..."

"Please don't tell Daddy Ana, he don't like pirates." He begged the her.

"Okay Thomas. I won't tell. You have to promise me something, okay?"

"What?"

"You and Jonesy have to stay back here in this room and not come out until I come and get you okay? Both of you."

"Does Father have a patient?" Alex asked.

"Yes he does. Stay back here, practice sword fighting some more."

"Okay Ms. Maria."

"Aye Ana."

"Good boys, Alex when he comes at you, back up and then lunge back, savvy?" She said the pirate in her shinning through.

"Aye Cap'n!"

"Okay."

She raced back into Dr. Jones's practice room and barreled through the door. She wished she'd of stayed back there with the boys. Jack was in horrible condition, aside from him being filthy and drunk. His usual tanned skin was turning a light shade of pink from the high temperature his body was fighting as Dr. Jones was washing him down in cold water.

"Me fir' mate' gone.. n I'm nex'!"

"No you're not Jack. Just hang on a second." Gibbs said talking slowly so Jack could get his head around the words.

"Cap'n! It's Cap'n Jac' Sparro', why can't no body git dat'!" He started fighting the crew that were holding him down.

"Jack calm down!"

"You're all mutineers! Left me on that godfer'..saken land!"

"Jack you're sick.. we're trying to help you"

"Git off of me! The Mast fell on Ana! It must of been! I can't find 'er! Ana!" He screamed panicking, making it obvious he was hallucinating

"Jack you've got to stand still so the Doctor can fix ya mate." Gibbs tried to reassure him.

"She's gone Gibbs! I can't find her!"

She shut her eyes tight as she heard him call her name, and heard the agony of his voice. Wishing it would just all go away and she would find out it was a nightmare. She wished Jack was in Tortuga, having his fun, not there with literally all of his crew holding him down, not all of them, not her. Finally she'd had enough and rushed over to him and stood over his face.

"I'm right here Jack. " She said holding his head still so he would look at her. " I'm right here," She told him again

"Ana?" He asked, his chest heaving from the fighting he'd done.

"Yeah Cap'n. I'm right here."

"I'm sorry Ana! I'm so sorry love!"

Yep, the high fever was all into Jack.

"You don't have a thing to be sorry for Jack. Not a damn thing." She said gripping his head tighter to keep him still as he fought against her. "Jus' be still a minute.. Shhh, jus' be still," She said resting her forehead on his. "Jus' be still."

He calmed at the sound of her voice, and Dr. Jones did all he could for the Captain and then took his gloves off.

"That's it, we're just going to have to wait and see if his fever breaks, but you'll have to take him some where else. I won't have pirates around my son."

"We understand sir, here's your money." Gibbs said dropping a small bag of coins in the Doctor's hands. He turned around. "Well crew?"

"I say we take him back to the ship."

"No."

"Ana? It's good to see you lass, sorry it took so long to get to the formal greetin' out." Gibbs went over and hugged the girl.

"Gibbs, you can't take 'im to the ship. What happens if he gets worse? He'll be dead before you get him back to the Doctor."

"What do you suggest we do then lass?" Gibbs had had a stressful twenty four hours and it showed in his tone.

"Leave him with me. I have a room within walking distance from here'."

"Ms. Maria do you really suggest it wise to keep a pirate in your bedroom? I mean aren't you watching Thomas tonight?" Dr. Jones asked with bold concern.

"Dr. Jones, this man saved my life, without him I would be dead. Allow me to pay off my debt." She lied.

"A pirate saved your life?"

"Yes, from thieves. It was a horrible ordeal."

"Looks like there is honor among thieves. Okay, Ms. Maria, for you. I won't tell Mr. Townsend you had a Pirate in his shop."

"Thank you. Gibbs, would you mind?"

"Of course not lass," He said fully blown away by Ana Maria's new found ability to lie so well. "Men! I need one sailor to help with the Captain and the other to go back to the Pearl. If one splinter is out of place when I get back, you will ALL WALK THE PLANK!"

"Aye, sir!"

Cotton came to the other side of Jack and helped Gibbs get Jack off of the table.

"Thank you, Mr. Cotton."

Cotton nodded and then waved towards Ana Maria.

"Just a second men, I've got to go get my boy."

Gibbs had a confused look on his face. " N, how lon' 'as she been away from the Pearl?"

Cotton shrugged at him, and then she came back with a little five year old boy hitched on her hip.

"Wow! Real life Pirates!" He squealed like he'd just met a celebrity.

"Yes son, wait until we get back until we get back to Ana's house okay?" Ana told the boy as she bounced him so he'd contain his excitement.

"What's wrong with that one?" He said pointing to Jack over her shoulder as she walked towards the door.

"He's sick, but you and me 'r gonna make 'im all better right?"

"Yes!"

"Cute lad Ana,"

"Thank you Mr. Gibbs."

They'd made it back to the shop in record time and Ana Maria busted the door open with her foot. She saw Katrina sitting there reading the newspaper looking very bored until she saw her intruders.

"What is this? Who are they?"

"No one Katrina, you can go home now if you'd like." She said quickly before walking up the stairs to open her bedroom door, unfortunately followed by the young girl.

"Ana Maria, are these Pirates?"

"No Katrina they're not, now please go home."

"Ana, lass where you want me to lay 'im at?" Gibbs ask shifting under Jack's weight.

"On the bed Gibbs."

"You've still got the first mate in ya lass."

"First Mate? You were a Pirate weren't you!"

"Katrina."

"That whole story about you being a maid from Tortuga, it was a lie!"

"Katrina. They're not Pirates, they're raiders. This man's well into his fifty's, he hallucinates a lot about bein' a Pirate. Now, please, go home!" She said shutting the door in her face.

"I am not into my fifties, I've got another two years before that talk!" Gibbs said getting irate.

"Gibbs, I had to say something. N one knows about me bein' a Pirate. I don't want a scandal for the Townsend's."

" I guess I understand then lass, would you like me to stay, incase he gets out of hand again?"

"No Gibbs, you should get back to the Pearl. I can take care of him."

"Even with the lad running about?"

"Yes,"

"Alright lass,"

"Gibbs, it's not well for you to dock over one day."

"I know lass, but she can't leave without the Cap'n."

"If the navy catches you here,"

"They won't lass."

"Gibbs it's a possibility! You need to get the Pearl out of here so she's in one piece when Jack's ready for her. As firs' mate of the Pearl I order you to take her out of Singapore."

He sighed. Ana Maria technically still was the First Mate of the Pearl. Jack had never assigned another one since she left, and with the Captain down he had to listen to the First Mate "How long do you propose then lass?"

"Might as well make it until the new moon."

"Why so long lass?"

"Even, if his fever breaks. He's still got to be taken care of. He looks horrid,"

"But Ana, what about your boss?"

"He'll understand."'

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then I lost my house and my job, wouldn't be the firs' time."

"Okay lass, I'll be back at the new moon."

"Good luck Gibbs,"

"Same to you mate, same to you."

He headed back to The Black Pearl, with Ana's image heavy on his mind. She'd changed so much, and Jack was in a world of heart ache when he woke up and realized the same thing. Their Ana Maria, the one who loved piracy more than anything. Might just be a memory.


	4. Making the Rules

After she was sure Katrina was gone and seeing Gibbs out she went back upstairs where'd she left Thomas and Jack. Which now that she thought about it, might not have been a very clever idea. She ran up the stairs and into the room. Thomas wasn't in the front room, which meant he was back in her bedroom where Jack was. Oh dear,

"Thomas?"

She walked in there and Thomas was standing by the bed just watching Jack intently, he looked behind him to see who his intruder was.

"Hey Ana,"

"Hey sweetheart, what are you doin' back here?"

"Watching the pirate."

"Jack."

"Huh?"

"His name is Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow." She said the last sentence pretending great importance.

"He's a Captain?"

"Sure is,"

"Ana, is it true? Did you used to be a pirate?"

"No sweetheart, of course not."

"Because if you were. I wouldn't tell Daddy," He told her innocently.

"I'm not a pirate son."

She probably shouldn't call him son as a pet name since he had a lack of a mother, but she couldn't help it, it just rolled off of her tongue. She loved the boy, and she didn't want to hurt him. After all the boy was barely five years old.

She shifted her gaze from Thomas to Jack.

Jack on the other hand, was a full grown man. Completely capable of deciding who he lets into his heart and who he didn't. The Black Pearl, and the sea, they would always be in Jack's heart and there was no denying it, but she found herself wondering if she made the list, if she was something that was in Jack's heart.

"Stop thinkin' so hard, ya gimme a headache." Jack mumbled looking at her hazily.

"Jack?"

"Cap'n Sparrow."

She ignored his response. "Hey Thomas, why don't you go downstairs and go find something to play and bring it back so we can play together?"

"Okay!"

She watched Thomas leave the room and then turned back to Jack.

"How are you feelin' Jack?"

He had fallen back asleep again so she felt his forehead. His fever hadn't gone down any, so she went over to the pitcher and wet a rag and started to try and cool him down.

"Cap'n, I will never understand you. First you let me leave and then you get sick at my port no less. It's almost like you planned it, but you'd never be fool enough to get sick here, you know how the Doctor's are, you were lucky I was there today, Dr. Prick would of turned you away if I hadn't of been."

She felt silly talking to herself, but at the same time she felt like Jack could hear her.

" I broke the code Cap'n. I lied to you, but then again you aren't surprised right?" She smiled to herself. "I never could manage to surprise you, but anyway, for the suspense of the journey, you'll have to wake up to find out what I lied about."

_There, Captain Jack Sparrow. Now you had to wake up, if you ever want to find out my secrets. It's brilliant. _She thought to herself.

Now there was the small manner of figuring out what to do with Thomas. She only had one bed, and she didn't have an extra mattress or anything like that and since Captain Jack was hogging the bed, she had to find the two of them a new sleeping arrangement. She could get the spare key to Mr. Townsend's house and sleep there. Yeah, that's what she would end up doing.

She turned around to see Thomas holding a chess board upside down. "Can you teach me to play Ana?"

Truth was, no one ever taught her how to play, and you couldn't teach someone something you didn't know yourself.

"How about we make up our own rules?"

"That's sounds funner!"

She smiled. "Good."

She played make believe-chess with Thomas until it got close to dark.

"Ha! I beat you!"

"Okay Thomas, it's time to go home."

"I thought I was stayin' with you tonight?"

"Yeah, but we're going to spend the night at your house, there's not enough room up here for both me, and you and Jack you know."

"What about the pirate? What if he gets lonely?"

More important question was what if he escapes?

"He won't get lonely Thomas, I left him a bear incase he does." She reassured the small boy.

She barricaded the outside of the door after she made sure he was in steady sleep. She wouldn't put it past Jack to leave once he got his legs up under him, ill or not. She couldn't let him, after all the Pearl had set sail until the new moon, and she had to explain that to Jack. She also had to clear her conscience with him, and she wouldn't let him go until she did.

"Shouldn't somebody stay with him?"

"I'll come back to check on him a couple times,"

"Okay."

She got Thomas settled and once she was sure the small boy was asleep she went back to check on Jack. She opened the door carefully to minimize any noises. She walked over to him and he was tossing and turning in a dream, or at least she hoped it was a dream.

"Ana, please don't go." He murmured in his sleep. He was dreaming about the day she left. She sighed and went over to get another cold rag.

"Jack, what am I going to do with you?" She asked the unconscious captain as she put the rag on his forehead.

"Whatever you wan' love,"

She jumped at the sound of the raspy voice.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

She smiled. He still sounded horrible and looked even worse, but at least he was in good spirits. Leave it to Jack to be in good spirits after suffering a horrible sickness. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down.

"You're not well Jack, lie down."

"Not well? 'Course I am."

"Jack you've had a fever for the past twelve hours, you are not well."

"When'd you start speakin' good English anyways?"

"I've always spoken English Jack,"

"You never enunciated like that."

"I'm surprised you even know what enunciate means." She said meaner than she intended to.

"Okay not in a talkin' mood, mkay.."

"What happened Jack, why'd you let yourself get that sick?" She said cutting to the chase.

"I didn't no' I was that sick. I thought it was just a floozy."

"You know the difference Jack, you are not stupid."

"Who the hell are you to be tellin' me if I'm stupid or I ain't?"

"I'm second in command, I get this right."

"No you aren't. You left the Pearl fo' some one bedroom complex! I gave you everythin' Ana, and you threw it all back in my face!"

Jack had a lot of feelings for Ana Maria right now, and they weren't all pleasant. He was angry with her, angry with her for leaving the pearl and angry with her for leaving him without closure. It was her fault he'd turned into the worst Captain in the seven seas. He was that way because he couldn't live the ways of a Pirate without thinking about her, Ana Maria was always on his mind. The thing that angered him most about the situation was no matter how hard he tried he could never shake it, and it was driving him mad.

"Go to sleep Jack, we'll talk about this in the morning." She said picking things up, getting ready to leave for the night.

"Don't you walk away from me!"

"Jack, you've had a long day, you need to rest and you obviously aren't going to if I stay here."

"What if I wanted you to?"

She gave him a small smile. "I can't Jack."

"Why not? This is your place ain't it?"

"Yes, but I can't stay here tonight."

"God damn it woman! Why. not.?"

"Because I have to stay with Thomas."

"Who the bloody hell is Thomas?"

"Good night Jack." She said walking out of the bedroom.

"Who the bloody hell is Thomas!" He called after her.

He heard the door shut and lock. Ana Maria had locked him in here, damn the woman. A wave of drowsiness came over him and he fell asleep, given little choice by the drugs that had been injected into him earlier.

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The next morning Ana Maria had gotten up early to check on Jack. She still needed to come up with a plan. She couldn't hide Jack from Mr. Townsend forever, no matter how much she wished she could. She got up from the spare mattress and went into Thomas's bedroom. She carefully waked the sleeping boy up.

"Do we have to leave right now?" He asked her groggily.

"Yes, we have to beat your dad back to my house." She said picking him up.

"Okay," He said through a yawn before he fell back asleep on her shoulder.

She struggled up the stairs with an unconscious Thomas and un barricaded the door, with the feeling that Jack was already awake.

"Good Mornin' Ana Maria."

She looked up and Jack was sitting at the table, looking smug as always with a few differences.

"Jack? What are you doing up so early? Actually what are you doing up at all?"

"Hate to break it to you love, but that bed ain't as comfortable as you think it is."

"Look, you cannot be out here in the front rooms,"

"Why not?"

"Mr. Townsend will be here soon."

"Who's Mr. Townsend?"

"My boss!"

"Ah, don't want him findin' a pirate here huh?"

"No, I don't want him finding a pirate in my house."

"So what? You want me to hide?"

"Yes Jack, I want you to hide."

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not going to hide."

"Yes you are!"

She put Thomas down in a chair and started pushing him backwards towards the bedroom.

"Jesus, Ana! All you had to go was ask!" He said mockingly

"Just get back there, and please Jack don't come out. This is the only place I have to stay. "She said with all seriousness.

"Okay love, okay, gees you're no fun when you're stressed."

"Thank you."

She heard a knocking on the door. She closed the bedroom door and headed for the front door and swung it open, taking Mr. Townsend by surprise.

"Good Morning Mr. Townsend." She greeted.

"Mornin' lass, " He said walking in.

"How was your trip?"

"It was okay, it went better than I thought it would. How was Thomas?"

"He was great, an angel the entire time."

"That's nice to hear,"

Then there was a loud crash that came from Ana Maria's bedroom.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That crash that came from your bedroom."

"My bedroom? That's impossible, there's no one back there."

"Best to check it out lass," He said heading for the bedroom.

"No! Mr. Townsend, there's nothing back there!"

_Too late._ He opened the door and saw Jack trying desperately to scoop up the pieces of the broken pitcher that he'd knocked over and Jack snapped his attentions to Mr. Townsend.

He chuckled nervously and stood up. "Hello sir."

"Who the hell are you? Ana, who the hell is this!"

Mr. Townsend spun around and looked at her with a look that demanded an answer.

"This is Jack Sparrow, he came in last night."

"Sparrow? The one who tried to assassinate the governor of Port Royal's daughter!"

"Now, now that was all a big misunderstanding, see Elizabeth, that's the governor's daughter's name, had suffocated under a corset and fell from a cliff n I saved her, and then Commodore Norrington, I don't know if he's still a commodore or not, but anyways. He arrested me for piracy-"

"Piracy! He's a pirate! Ana! Is he a pirate!"

"Mr. Townsend, please listen to me. Jack Sparrow is a pirate, yes. But he saved my life a couple years back and I was just paying back the favor." She explained using the same lie she'd used on Dr. Jones.

"The favor?"

"Yes, he had a horrible fever last night, you can ask Dr. Jones. He can vouch for that."

"You had a pirate in my shop, and around my son."

"It was completely supervised the entire time sir, I promise."

"Then why is he still here?"

"Excuse me?"

"He looks well enough now, why is he still here?"

"Because.. because.."

"Because I asked if I could stay another night." Jack told him.

"What?"

"I was still feelin' sick this morning, so I asked if I could stay another night. I told her I'd pay her for it. Thanks for tryin' to save my pride Ms. Maria."

"Yeah, you know me." She agreed. It didn't sound right to her when Jack called her Ms. Maria, she didn't like it at all.

" Ana, I need to talk to you down in the shop."

"Okay."

She followed him out, only stopping to pick Thomas back up.

"Tell me the truth lass, lay it on me."

"What?"

"You've been my Shopkeeper for six months, you've been my Nanny that long too. If I can trust you with my only son, my only living family. You're going to have to tell me the truth lass, all of it."

"That is the truth."

"A pirate, one that's on the run from countless felonies saved your life?"

"Yes,"

"I don't buy it lass, not for one second. Now tell me the truth." He told her, the last sentence striking her like a whip.

"Jack Sparrow," She took a deep breath to keep the tears from falling. "Jack Sparrow is my ex-captain. We served on the same ship, I was the first mate."

"That's more like it. What else?"

"The ship was _The_ _Black Pearl."_

" The last real Pirate threat in the Caribbean,"

"Yeah,"

"Well lass, this is what's going to happen."

"What?" She said inticapating the worst

"I'm not going to fire you."

Ana Maria visibly relaxed and exhaled slowly.

"Thank you sir,"

"But, if I found out that you've been lying to me again, or that pirate does anything to ruin my name, or do something that he shouldn't do like steal anything, I'm not going to have any other choice."

"I understand."

"Be careful who you stick your neck out for Ana, it can bite you in the ass,"

"I know."

She started back for the stairs after handing the still sleeping boy over to his father.

"And another thing lass. Thomas thinks the world of you, if he had to see you go it would break him. Please don't make me choose between what's right and my boy's happiness."

"I love him too sir, I'd never have you make that choice"

"As far as you bein' a Pirate, I'm the only one who knows" He paused for a minute so she could catch up. "and Ana, don't make me regret sticking my neck out for you."

"Yes sir,"

She ran back up the stairs and bolted into her room, close to tears. That was not how she wanted it to go. He wasn't supposed to find out that way, he wasn't supposed to find out she used to be a pirate. Her job and her home wasn't supposed to get threatened. Her future wasn't supposed to get threatened. The encounter shook her up more than she thought it would.

"Ana?" She heard Jack ask her in a concerned tone. "Ana, love what's the matter?"

Jack's concern was not helping her. All it did was remind her how much she'd hurt him by leaving him the way she did. The tears in her eyes were more than she could contain and she finally started audibly crying.

"Ana? Are you alright?"

She looked up at him in all of her shame. "I'm sorry Jack."

"Oh, Ana." He pulled her into a hug, all of his anger for her melting seeing her so pitiful. "Don't be sorry love, it's against the code."

"No it's not." She choked out.

"Well it is now."


	5. All is fair in love and war

After Ana Maria's little fit was over, Jack asked the ultimate question. **The one she knew he would.**

"Where's the pub aroun' this place? Things ain't as they once were you know."

"I'm not up to drinking right now Jack."

" What do you mean you're not up to drinking! Drinking's the best part!"

When he didn't get an answer he continued to proceed.

Well come with me anyways..please?"

"Jack I don't want to go."

"Stayin' up here isn't much better."

"You shouldn't be going anywhere anyway."

"Aye, and that's what makes life fun"

"I'm not going Jack."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine. I'll just have to invoke the right of parley on you then!"

"What?"

He picked her up and she started thrashing around in his grip and gave up after she figured out he wasn't going to loosen his grip on her. He carried her back into her room threw her on the bed.

"Say it!"

"Say what!"

"Say Parley!"

"No!"

He climbed on top of her and started tickling her. As tough as she was, she was still horribly ticklish.

"Say it!"

"Jack stop!" She said through her laughter.

"Say Parley and I will."

"No!"

"Come on Ana..you know you want to.."

"Jack stop, please stop? Jack!"

"Come on say it with ol' Jack. Par-ley."

"Okay! Okay!"

"What?"

"Parley! Just stop tickling me!"

"Now that wasn't so hard was it lovey?"

"Okay, we'll go to the pub, but then its straight back to the house"

"Yeah..yeah..yeah."

She took him to the pub on the outskirts of town called Shadow Haven so no one would see her in his company. Aside from it's convenience, it was Ana's favorite bar. She'd been there a few times enough to call herself a loyal customer.

Jack took in the sights of the little place. It had lit candles all over the place, with few drinkers. It wasn't at all what he'd expected.

"This, is a pub?"

"Yes Jack, it's a pub."

"But where's the fighting, and the floozy's..and.."

"Jack, it's eleven in the morning."

"There's a pub open at eleven in the morning?"

"Yes, this place needs it's whiskey."

"Yeah, I'm more of a rum kind of man myself."

"I know."

They took a seat at the bar and the old bartender came up to them.

"What can I get you?"

"Umm, rum for me. Ana what do you want lovey?"

"I'll just take some water."

The bartender gave her a look, but went to go get their oders.

"Okay, you do know that pub water is nasty right?" Jack said looking at her like she'd grown an extra head.

"It is not."

"Liar! I've had pub water!"

"When'd you ever go to a pub to drink water!"

"I tried to quit drinking once!"

"Oh really?"

"Really, and I will never do it again, but that's besides the point!" He paused a minute for the sake of drama.

"Why are you drinking pub water!"

"I told you I wasn't up for drinking."

"Why not Ale?"

"Because Ale has alcohol in it too!"

"Yeah, but just a teeny bit" Jack said holding his thumb and index finger about an inch apart for emphasis.

"I'm not drinking, and I'm not talking about this anymore." She said getting up from the bar.

"Where are you goin'?"

"To use the bathroom!"

Why wasn't she drinking? In the old days, where the was a bar there was Ana Maria. Jack used to love to drink in her

company despite it scared his floozy's away. He hated to admit, it but Ana Maria was scaring him. Maybe if he found away to get her to enjoy herself.

The bartender brought the drinks to Jack.

"Hey, mate, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have anything back there, that will say liven the lass up a lil' bit?"

"What kind of livening sir?"

"Um, whatever you've got I guess, but I need her sober by tomorrow."

"I've got just what you need."

He went into the back and brought Jack out what looked like a bottle cap full of powder.

"It'll mix into her water,"

"Will she be able to tell?"

"Shouldn't."

"How much is this gonna cost me?"

"Three shilling."

Jack flipped him the coins and immediately started mixing the powder into Ana's drink. He saw her turn the corner and

started mixing it faster.

"You can dissolve now!"

As if it understood Jack's request it melted into the drink, but not before Ana Maria saw him turn away from her drink.

"What are you doin'?"

"Tryin' it!" He said thinking fast and taking a quick small sip of it. The bartender was right, there wasn't a trace of taste in it.

By nightfall, Jack was stoned drunk and Ana Maria was also pretty close to stoned herself. They stumbled out of the bar, laughing and making fools of themselves.

"Les go 'ome Jackie, 'm tired."

"Dat's Cap'n Jackie to you love, but if you 'nsist,"

They walked back towards Ana Maria's house,

"Jack?"

"Mm?"

"Aren' you upset 'dat the Pearl left ya?"

"Nah, they'll be back."

"I'm goin' to miss you 'hen you leave."

"You should com' wit' me."

"I can't"

"Why not?"

"Just can't. Ooo look!"

Ana Maria pulled away from him and started running towards the water fountain in the center of the town square.

"Where are you goin'?"

She turned around and came back to him. "Come on!" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the fountain.

"Ana, love this isn't a good idea."

"Come on Jackie, you're the one always sayin' that you should make life intrestin'!"

"You're goin' to get yurself arrested for drunk in public."

"Well I didn' drink so."

"They're not goin' to see it that way lovey."

"Is that a hin' of responsibility I see?"

"Yeah, leave it to you to use big wor's while drunk!"

"I didn't drink..atleast I don' think I did."

"Don't worry, whoa!"

She pulled him into the fountain. The cold water was not very welcome on his warm skin. He came up for air and saw Ana

Maria, soaking wet as well, before she went under the water . He didn't bother her, she looked like she was having fun.

"Hey Jackie!" She called behind him.

"What?" He turned around and she splashed him. When he got his eyes cleared out. He saw Ana Maria wearing his hat.

"Where'd you get 'dat?"

"It was floatin'!"

He smiled at her in her drunk stupor, but it was time to get out of the cold water before they got sick or the Navy came and got them out.

"Okay love, you've had your fun let's go home."

"I don' wanna go 'ome!"

"You jus' said you did'!"

"Well, I changed my min'!" She said with absolute authority.

"Come on Ana, you feel better when you get out."

"You'll have to come and get me!" She called playfully, running behind the main structure of the fountain.

He laughed at her.

"What 'r you laughin' at?"

"Do you honestly believe that I can't catch you?"

"Well I honestly believe you to be dishonest and it's the dishonest you honestly have to watch out for!"

"I didn't quite catch 'dat love."

"Just like you can't catch me!"

He started to chase her around the fountain when she jumped out and ran towards her house.

"I'm going to get you Ana! You will not evade me!" He said trying to sound villainous.

She ran up the stairs and busted through the door with Jack on her tail. He finally tackled her on the bed.

"Got you-"

He was interrupted with her lips on his. She pulled away and looked at his face for some sort of emotion.

"What was that?"

"What, you've never been kissed before?"

"Yeah, but,"

"Say somethin'."

"The hell with it."

He kissed her passionately playing with her tongue with his own. He'd wanted to do that ever since she left. It was in that

kiss that Ana Maria knew how much she'd really hurt Jack, but how much he loved her too. For a split second they felt like their old selves.

He rolled her over on top of him, and started playing with her shirt.

"Jack." She half moaned.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we shouldn't."

"No I really think we should."

She broke away from him and got off of him.

"Where are you goin'? I wasn't finished yet!"

"We can't do it Jack."

"Why not?" He whined. Damn, he was so close.

"Jack, please don't tonight, okay? I feel like hell." She said getting under the covers and falling asleep.

Bloody woman, turning him on and off like that. It wasn't fair. She wasn't fair, she used to be the only thing that was fair to him, but not anymore. Now, she was some kind of Nanny, and a shopkeeper. That was it, she wanted to make honest money! Why didn't he see it before?

He couldn't take her away from that. She slept at night. She was important to people. When she died she wouldn't be thrown overboard to sink to Davy Jones's locker. She would probably have a nice service that the entire town showed up for. It still didn't stop the need he had for her. He would always want her, no one else. If he left for the Pearl without her he'd wander around port to port, floozy to floozy, but he'd never have that burning love in his chest that he had when he was with Ana Maria.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Ana Maria started shivering. He turned to see what was disturbing her and saw that they were still both in wet clothes. Great job Jack, next time why don't you just drown her?

He got out of bed and pulled the covers off of her, sat her up and leaned her weight into him so he could take the wet clothes off of her. She started to stir under the movement.

"It's alright love, just me."

"I love you Jack." He heard her whisper, still half asleep.

He smiled and then he felt all of her weight lean into him, which told him she'd fallen back asleep.

"I wish you would remember that in the mornin'." He whispered back careful not to wake her up.

He got all of her clothes off and hung them on the chairs in the front room and then did the same for himself and went to bed.

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The next morning Ana Maria woke up in an empty bed with the sun's early rays attacking her eyes. She sat up in bed and rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes.

"Jack?" She called.

"Yeah?" He said carrying in a plate of fruit, breads, and cheeses.

"Where were you?"

"Went to go get hangover food."

"What's today?"

"Thursday."

"I've got to open the shop this morning."

"Yeah about that-"

She stood up and realized she wasn't wearing any clothes.

"What the hell!" She screamed snatching the sheet and wrapping herself up quickly. "Where are my clothes!"

"What makes you think I know?" He asked trying to conceal his amusement from Ana Maria's reaction.

"Listen you no good sea dog, I have commitments to uphold and I've 3 gold pieces saying you stripped me! And if I don't have my clothes in the next 3 seconds-

She picked his hat up and held it out the window. "Hattie here, goes out the window into the mud puddle!"

"No! Not my hat! They're in the kitchen! Just put the hat down." He begged saying the last sentence slowly.

"Thank you."

She put the hat on the floor and pulled clean clothes out of the closet and turned back around to see Jack eating his hang

over food watching her waiting for her to drop the bed sheet.

"Turn around." She demanded.

"What?"

"You don't get to see anymore."

"Ah man,"

"Now Jack!"

"Okay, Okay," He turned around.

"You better stay that way too."

"You better stay that way too." Jack said mockingly.

But he couldn't control himself. He turned his head around slowly and saw Ana Maria redressing herself. He wished to hell Elizabeth was here to tell him what was going on with Ana Maria, and what to say to make it right, but nooo she was off honey mooning with Will Turner!

"Okay Jack, you can turn around now."

"Ana, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Jack,"

"I can tell you anything can't I?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew that."

"Well, if I can tell you anything, could you tell me anything?"

"Yeah.." She said slowly.

"Then tell me something."

"What?"

"Do you love me? Are you in love with me?"

"Jack.."

"Just bloody answer the question."

"Yes I love you, am I in love with you? I don't know."

"How do you not know somethin' like that!"

"I've got to go open the shop for the day, we will talk about this later." She said walking for the door.

"Ana! Ana Maria don't you walk away from me!" He said following her down the stairs.

"I don't know how I feel, because I don't know how you feel." She told him angrily.

"Well that's an easy one! I'm in love with you! I can say it! Why can't you!"

" Because it's not that simple!"

"Yes it is! You're in love with someone or you're not!" He said getting hasty.

"Keep. Your. Voice. Down." She warned. "This is a place of business,"

"So which is it Ana?"

"We've got different goals now Jack, when the new moon comes, you'll sail off with The Black Pearl."

"She's my home Ana, -

"I know, and you belong with 'er-

"At least tell me, why you left in the first place, I think I deserve that much."

Jack was doing a marvelous job keeping his composure up for a man who could literally feel his heart breaking.

"Because the sea didn't call to me anymore. I stopped hearin' her."

"Oh and some screamin' kid does?"

"Don't bring Thomas into it! It's hard enough without thinking about what it would do to him!"

"You're a liar Ana Maria, and that's what holds you back from what you truly want, and that-" He took a deep breath to hold in the tears. "Was not the Ana I knew."

"You never knew me at all Jack Sparrow! All you ever knew about me was that I was someone you could exploit for your own advantages! Just like all your other fucking prostitutes!"

"Yeah, but I didn't make you love me, you did all of that on your own." He spat looking her up and down.

"Have a great fucking life Ana Maria. You deserve it!" He spat again, except angrily before walking out and slamming the door.


	6. I'm Afraid

**A/N: Okay guys, I've been really nervous about this chapter. I hope it's not a total train wreck.**

Ana Maria watched him walk away from her, doubting he'd come back. She was trying to wrap her head around their little argument, trying to figure out if they'd ever had a fight that bad. She didn't think so, they'd never let themselves be unprofessional around each other on The Black Pearl. They couldn't afford too, he was the Captain, and she was second in command. Now, the pressures of the Black Pearl were gone, and they had the chance to be honest with each other. For some reason she couldn't do it, she couldn't tell him the truth, she couldn't let him know.

Then the unsettling thoughts and nausea made her vomit, pretty violently. That and whatever happened last night was giving her a bad migraine. She wished it would all just stop, she wanted just two minutes to think. Then again, Jack had given her the whole world in time to think. Why was this so hard?

Jack went down the stairs and out of the shop in a blind rage. He hadn't been this angry in a long time, probably since he'd been marooned by Barbossa. What was it with his first mates? Was there some secret club of them that couldn't wait to hurt Jack in some way or another? The number Barbossa had done on him paled in comparison to what Ana Maria had done. Barbossa had taken away his freedom, that he could get back. Ana Maria had broken his heart, stomped on his pride, and made him question his whole existence as a pirate. Yeah, her blow would be the hardest to recover from.

He couldn't let it end like this though, they'd been through too much together. She was there through thick and thin, she saved him and he'd saved her from merciless Navy troops and hangings to things as little as inexperienced pirates wanting to take over the Pearl. The least he could do was end their friendship on good terms, even if he couldn't do the same for their romantic standpoint.

Ana Maria had been violently vomiting for about 45 minutes when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" She managed to choke out.

She heard Mr. Townsend's heavy footsteps walk through the front room. She tried to stand up to go greet him, but was interrupted when she felt her stomach turn. She felt the need to gag and immediately through her head back over the trash bin.

"Ana?" She heard his worried voice ask her. "Lass are you alright? You're pale." He asked bending down to her level and putting his hand on her forehead to see if she had a temperature.

"Hey Jack. What are you doin' here?" She asked him in a confused tone.

"Jack? Lass, it's Charles, it's Mr. Townsend."

"Oh, Mr. Townsend, when'd you get here?" She asked like he'd just walked in the door.

"I've been here lass, why don't we get you to a doctor, eh?"

"Okay, jus' don't wake Thomas up, he's sleepin'."

"Okay we won't wake Thomas up, " He said helping her up off of the floor and almost supporting all of her weight towards the door.

It took him ten minutes to get her to Dr. Jones's doorstep and he knocked on the door hard enough to indicate an emergency.

"John! John! open up! It's Charles!"

Dr. Jones swung the door open and saw Mr. Townsend trying to keep his grip on a very ill Ana Maria.

"What happened Charles?"

Mr. Townsend walked into the house and put Ana Maria down in a chair.

"I don't know, I walked into the shop this morning and she wasn't at the register, so I walked up to her house and there she was, throwing her guts out in a trash bin."

"How long has she been vomiting?"

"I'm not sure, but there she'd almost filled the trash bin up, when I came in ."

Dr. Jones's bent down to Ana Maria and pulled her eye lids back. "Her pupils are dilated, I think she's had a drug reaction."

"Ana?"

"I'm just telling you what I'm seeing as a doctor."

He took her wrist and took her pulse. Her pulse was quickening by the minute, which pretty much sealed his theory. He was listening to her lungs when he heard her make a gagging noise.

"Get her a bucket Charles, over there."

Mr. Townsend handed her the bucket and stepped back from her so Dr. Jones could do his work.

After he'd checked her eyes, her pulse, and her lungs the only thing to do was make sure she didn't have anything solid in her stomach. He put his hands on her stomach and felt something move, it startled him causing him to pull back from her.

"Everything alright John?" He heard Mr. Townsend ask.

"Not sure, hey Charles, why don't you get back to your shop, and I'll send someone when she's ready to go back home?"

"Okay, thanks John, and another thing. Would you foot me the bill please? Lass doesn't have a lot of money."

"Of course. In fact it's on the house."

"Thanks." Mr. Townsend said leaving Ana Maria in the care of what he thought was a good friend on them both.

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Jack slowly started back for Ana Maria's house. He started to think about the things that would keep Ana Maria from the sea, and he couldn't come up with a single good reason for a pirate to give up the ocean.

He walked in the door and saw Ana Maria's boss sitting at the table, he was surprised to see him there, but the face he had for Jack sent a chill down his spine.

Mr. Townsend launched at Jack and threw him into the wall holding him a couple inches off the ground by his neck.

"I knew you would come back to the seen of the crime!"

"Hello governor."

"What did you give her!"

"Give who!"

"Ana! What'd you give her!"

"I didn't give 'er anythin'." Jack gasped.

"She nearly killed herself with dehydration because of a drug overdose!" Mr. Townsend told Jack before slamming him into the wall again. " I know Ana, she would never take drugs, you gave them to her without her knowin'. and you will tell me what it was if you ever want to take another breath you miserable son of a bitch."

"Okay Okay! I did give her drugs but I don't know what it was."

"You didn't know what it was?" Mr. Townsend asked in sheer disbelief.

"Kind of a stupid move now, but it was a good idea at the time."

"I knew it, I knew I shouldn't of let you stay here. I knew you were bad news."

"Are you sure she had an overdose? She was fine this mornin'." Jack said trying to hide the fact he felt guiltier than he did.

"Yes I'm sure, I took her to the doctor. Something you should of done instead of running out on her!"

"Like I said she was fine when I left!" Jack said pulling out his sword and pointing it at Mr. Townsend. "Do not accuse me of killin' Ana, cause I would never do it." He said before putting it back. "Where is she now?"

"At the doctor."

" I know that. Which one?"

"Dr. Jones, he said he'd send someone when she was well again."

"You should know by now mate, never trust a doctor." Jack said putting his hat on and walking out the door.

Something was wrong, he just knew it.

Ana Maria was falling in and out of consciousness when Jack and Mr. Townsend arrived. Jack, being the infamous man he was, saw no need to knock on the door, he just waltzed right in.

"Where is she?"

"Excuse me, sir you have to knock before entering a person's household!"

Jack had just about enough of everyone standing in between him and Ana Maria.

"Well, I'll knock the next time, tell me where she is."

" I'm sorry sir I can't do that."

Jack rolled his eyes and drew his sword at the doctor.

"Are you sure about that mate? I mean, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I've spent years doing things completely unpredictable, savvy?"

"She's in the den." He said eyeing the weapon. "Now put that thing away, their are children here."

Jack honored his request and put the sword back before walking over to Ana Maria. The state she was in made his stomach turn. Her hair was matted down by sweat and her chest was heaving like she was having trouble catch her breath, not a sight he wanted to see her in. He felt guilty, he didn't mean for it to end up like this. All he wanted was for her to lighten up a little. He didn't pay three shillings just to kill her.

He walked over to her and got on his knees as she stirred to see her intruder.

"Hey Jack." She said weakly. Jack couldn't believe how raspy her voice was.

"Hey lovey, what've you gotten yourself into huh?" He said softly, taking a seat next to her.

"Just a floozy." She said quoting what he'd told her when he was really sick. "Jack I'm scared." She said looking up at him with fear in her eyes.

"You'll be okay love, I promise."

"You don't know that."

"Well of course I do, I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow."

"Jack, you don't understand-"

"Understand what love?"

He watched her eyes slowly close with drowsiness, he decided to let her sleep. After all it was his fault she was so bent out of shape. He was doing a great job, he'd accidently tried to kill her, he'd run out on her during a conversation, and to top it all off, he'd made her scared.

"Sparrow. Come here a moment." Mr. Townsend commanded.

He didn't want to leave Ana, but the look on the older man's face told Jack there was something he should know.

"She is really sick boy. Do you know that?" Mr. Townsend asked, studying Jack's features for a reaction.

"Yeah, and it's all my fault. I'm sorry."

Then a middle aged woman swept by them and towards were Ana Maria was resting. Mr. Townsend looked towards Dr. Jones.

"Who's she?" Jack asked watching her turn the corner.

"The midwife? John, why is the midwife here?"

"I want her to look at Ms. Maria."

"Why would Ana need a midwife to look at her? I thought you said it was a drug overdose!" Jack said getting ready to throw a fit.

"Sparrow shut up for a minute." He barked at Jack. "What's going on John?"

They were interrupted when they heard Ana putting up a fight. Jack didn't think twice before running off in her direction, shortly followed by Mr. Townsend.

"Who the hell are you! Get off of me!"

"Ana! Ana, hey lovey what's the matter?"

"She tried to kill me!"

"She's delusional, it's not uncommon with severe dehydration," The midwife said continuing the exam.

"Jack!"

"Ana, just trust me. Let the nurse have a look at you." He tried to reassure her, but it didn't help her much.

"Ms. Maria, you're going to have to stay still."

"Don't patronize me!" Ana Maria spat before she fell back asleep unable to resist.

"What are you listening for anyways?"

"A heartbeat."

" I'm no expert, but aren't you kind of in the wrong place for that?" Jack asked severely confused,

"Not for a woman who's with child."

"With child?" Mr. Townsend asked. "That's impossible,"

"Yeah, that's impossible." Jack agreed with eyes that looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Well, either she hasn't been tellin' you lot the whole story, or Ms. Maria here is the next Virgin Mary because she is definitely with child." The midwife said peeling her gloves off. "I suggest, you take her home and be sure she drinks."

Jack felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt like the world was caving in on him. Everything he held in standard was getting thrown into oblivion, everything was falling apart.

"Can we back up to the with child part?" Jack asked. He just couldn't wrap his head around this woman's words. Who the hell was she to come in here and turn everything upside down. Nonetheless, it might be true.

"She's about 4 or 5 months."

Jack thought back that far. Four or five months ago, Ana Maria was still on the Pearl. Four months or five months ago life was the way it should of been. The Pearl was under his feet and Ana was still with him, was still his. There was a very good possibility that the baby inside Ana Maria was his. He didn't know how to feel, but the dominant emotion was fear. He wasn't fimiliar with fear, but he could already tell you he did not like it one bit.

Mr. Townsend thanked the mid wife and picked Ana Maria up from the couch and walked towards the front door stopping only to talk to Dr. Jones.

"So, what's going on with Ms. Maria?" He asked motioning to the unconscious woman in his friends' arms.

"Midwife said she couldn't find anything, come along Sparrow." Mr. Townsend said quickly heading for the door. He just felt like he couldn't trust Dr. Jones with Ana Maria's condition and didn't feel like staying to ponder the situation.

Jack followed dumbly, still trying to understand, and still failing miserably.

Mr. Townsend laid the sleeping woman in her own bed and then went to go pour himself some coffee. Jack just took a seat at the round table. Mr. Townsend saw his expression and smiled.

"Scary thought isn't?"

"What?"

"Being a father."

"What makes you so sure its' mine?" Jack said truly curious.

"You just look like her type is all."

"That all you got? I look like her type?"

"Maybe you forget Sparrow, but I have a boy of my own and for that to have happened,I was in your position. I know the look."

"Okay,"

"And well the midwife said it's been five months."

"Ana Maria has only been here four."

"Hate to break it to you mate, but I wasn't the only man Ana had her way with."

"So you admit to it?"

"Admit to what?"

"Sparrow, wise up to it, before your bloody ship comes back or you'll lose everything. Do you want that?"

"Wise up to what?"

"You do that again, I will break your neck. " He growled. "Fix this Sparrow, before I do."

He started for the door. "Where are you goin'?"

"To get my son." He said before walking out of the door.

_Great,_ he thought. Note to self: Don't ever walk out on Ana Maria during a fight, because when you come back something worse happens. _Yeah, that one is going into the code_.


	7. The hardest

After Mr. Townsend left Jack decided to pull up a chair next to Ana Maria's bed and watch her. He was sprawled out on the chair with his arms folded across his chest as he took the time to sort out all of his emotions and thoughts.

He felt angry with her. He didn't completely understand why, but there it was. He was so angry with her. She'd lied to him and kept the biggest secret from him in the world. She'd made it clear to him in the last couple of days that he didn't mean anything to her. No matter how hard he tried nothing was working to keep her satisfied. She was impossible, just plain impossible.

Then he felt guilty. Guilty that he'd gotten her this sick by drugging her. Guilty because she felt like she had to give up her freedom to keep a secret from him. Guilty because she felt like she had to keep the secret from him in the first place.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw her shift in bed and starting to stir.

She'd barely gotten her eyes open when she saw Jack sitting next to her. She looked at his expression, he had a big fake smile on like he did when he was getting prepared to do something stupid

"Good mornin' mummy!" He greeted with a tone full of fake excitement.

"Mummy? What the hell are you talkin' about?" She asked groggily, rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. She wasn't really taking the statement into question.

"What the hell am I talkin' about! Where do you git off talkin' to me like that!" He busted out, letting his anger get the best of him.

"Stop yellin' at me!"

"I'm not yellin' at you!"

"Yes you are!"

"Must be those pregnancy hormones, they say it makes you crazy!"

"Jack would you stop sayin' that!"

"Sayin' what? You're pregnant!"

"I am not pregnant!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes you are, because the mid wife-lady said so." He said very matter-of factly.

"Well, I'm not so there."

"I'm supposed to believe you over a woman whose been dealing with knocked up women for all of her natural life?"

"Natural life?"

"The woman looked like she was a hundred and fifty and still strong as a horse, but so not the point!"

"What are you talking about Jack?"

"You're pregnant damn it!"

"What are you? Some doctor!"

"No, but in the last twenty four hours you've been seen by two of them!"

Ana Maria couldn't hear anything. Not Jack screaming at her, not the heavy rain outside, nothing. She was thinking about the possibility of Jack's words being true. Was she pregnant? How could she of been, she and Jack were always so careful, well she was anyways. She kept track of this kind of thing, how could she not of known. Four months, she had to of been at least four months, ' cause that was the last time she'd had sex-with Jack. Damn it.

She felt stupid, she felt very stupid. How could she of not known? How could she of over-looked such a thing? Now Jack thought she had been trying to keep him from his child. She put one hand on her stomach, felt like she as going to be sick again.

"Jack I can explain."

"Explain what? Explain how you lied to me! Turn this around Ana, how does it look?"

"It looks complicated and I'm trying to explain it to you, you idiot!" She yelled trying to get him to shut-up

"Fine." He said throwing himself down in the chair." Explain."

"I didn't know Jack-"

"How could you of not known!-"

"Let me finish!"

Jack grew quiet.

"I did not leave because I was-I was-"

"Pregnant. Admitting it is the first step, I hear."

She threw him a glare and continued. " I left because I thought I had scurvy. I was going to get better and then surprise you in another port, but when I didn't get any better I looked for a job because I was running out of money, and that's where Mr. Townsend and Thomas come into the picture, okay?"

"You left, because, you thought you had scurvy?" He asked her, not completely sure he believed it. "Why didn't you tell me then?"

" "Captain, I have scurvy so I'm going to land". How would you of taken that?"

"Okay Ana, I'll see you in a couple of months?"

"Try again."

" I wouldn't of made port until we ran out of food." He said giving in pathetically.

"That's better."

"Are you lying?"

"No!"

"You're sure?"

"Yes! I just didn't want the others to know I'd caught something as little as scurvy, they'd of held it against me and made it even harder to be the only woman on the ship."

"Well you're not going back now."

"Of course I am, Jack, I've always wanted to go back to the Pearl, now that I know I'm not dying."

"Well you might as well be!"

"What do you mean, "I might as well be?" "

"Well you're, you're,-

"Pregnant. Admitting is the first step I hear." She said with the same smart ass tone as Jack and Jack threw her the same glare.

"You can't be a mum and a pirate at the same time!"

"Oh, but you can be a dad and be a pirate at the same time!"

"Bootstrap did it," He said in a pitiful attempt to be on top, but saying that was a fatal error in judgment.

"Bootstrap! Bootstrap did! Is that the best you've got!"

"Yeah, and dear William turned out married and happy," He said weakly.

"Have you forgotten! Bootstrap belongs to Davy Jones now!" Ana yelled getting out of bed and slowly advancing towards him.

"I'm sure it was just a small calculation." Jack said slowly backing away from her.

She stopped for a minute. She couldn't believe this, she couldn't believe any of it.

"Ana?" Jack asked waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

"You know what? Go on_ Captain _Jack , go be a pirate, and when you run into Bootstrap's son, ask him about how if felt to grow up without his father," She spat before storming out of the bedroom.

"Ana," Jack rolled his eyes and followed her. "Ana I'm not saying you have to do this alone!"

She scoffed and continued to walk downstairs. So he took the silence as a 'keep talking' silence.

"I'll come back to were ever you decide to live a couple of times a year and I'll help you out money wise!"

"Money! You think all I need from you is money!"

"Well can you raise a kid on being a baby sitter!-

He was interrupted when the back of Ana's hand collided with his face.

He paused for a minute staring at a very angry Ana Maria. "Not sure I deserved that." He said rubbing the abused skin.

"You think I wanted this Jack? You think I wanted to have a baby out of wedlock and give up my freedom! No, but it's happened, and I have to do what's right! And what's right is for it to have it's mother and father!"

"What are you getting at?" He asked fearing the answer.

"Either you let me back on the Pearl, or you can give her to Gibbs and stay here, but Jack if you leave us here. I. do. not. want. you. to come. back."

"You don't mean that." He said shaking his head.

"Yes, I do. I've got to get Thomas tonight so I need to head over there. I'll give you some time to think about it." She said picking her coat up and walking out of the shop.

Jack had a lot to consider.

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Ana ran through the rain to the Townsend's and knocked on the door. She heard Thomas yell to his father that he would get it, causing her to smile. Then it fell from her face, if Jack let her back on the ship and she went, think of what would it do to Thomas. She was interrupted from her panic when Thomas swung the door open.

"Ana!" He squealed and then jumped up into her arms.

"Hey Thomas, How are you today?"

"Fine, but Daddy says you got sick and had to go to Jonesy's house."

"I'm-

"Thomas! Son, who is -" He saw Ana Maria standing at the doorway with Thomas in her arms.

"Ana? Lass what are you doin' here?" He asked surprised by her presence.

"I was supposed to get Thomas tonight wasn't I?"

"Well that was what we'd planned but I'd already canceled the appointment. You are supposed to be resting." He said coming over and taking Thomas.

"I'm fine Mr. Townsend." She said trying to reassure the older man

"Thomas son, why don't you go play?"

"But I thought I was goin' with-

"Just go play son, okay?"

Thomas ran off in the direction of his room and Mr. Townsend turned back towards Ana Maria.

"How are you feelin' lass?"

" Okay. So you know huh?" She asked feeling uneasy about the whole conversation they were about to have.

"Yeah, yeah I know."

"Mr. Townsend, I didn't know. I swear." She started already panicking.

"I believe you lass, trust me. I believe you. Just relax."

Ana drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"What did Sparrow say?"

"He got mad, and then I explained that I didn't know,"

"What happened after that?"

"I told him that we could think about me going back to _The Black Pearl_, and y'know try and see what's left of our relationship "

"Oh, really?" He asked looking surprised, and a little bit hurt.

"Or him staying here with us."

"You can't keep a pirate here Ana, the royal navy will come looking for him."

"I know, but I thought I could change his identity or something."

"We'll worry about that later lass, what else happened?"

"I made him choose between me and bring a pirate."

"Ana," He said, his jaw dropping a bit with disbelief. "Ana, lass you didn't."

"Mr. Townsend I had too! I won't let my child grow up with a part time dad! I can't do it!"

"You can't make a pirate leave the sea. He has to want too." He said with all seriousness.

"I know, and that'll be the hardest." She said swallowing her tears.


	8. Not willing to let you go

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait guys, been busy getting back into school and such. Damn teachers want you to learn the world sometimes:but without further ado.**

Jack was pacing around the bedroom in Ana Maria's house. Trying to figure out what in the world, heaven and hell he was going to do. He didn't think he'd ever thought as hard as he was thinking right now. How was he supposed to make this kind of choice? Love and Life? Who the hell was he to make that decision? Romeus?

He smirked. Bloody Greek Legend was his favorite, _Romeus and Juliet._ Romeus was Juliet's next door neighbor and they hated each other. Then Juliet fell in love with Romeus and some how got him to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, all the fighting they had done had rubbed off on their families and they forbid the two from seeing their lover. They wound up killing themselves so they could be together and declared that no one would stop them from doing so, not even the gods.

The smirk fell from his face. Hopefully Ana Maria and him would have a happier ending. He collapsed on the bed and let out a long exhausted sounding sigh. He doubted it.

Okay, the only way to deal with this is to make a _pro's_ and _con's_ list.

Might as well start with the cons of leaving Ana Maria here in Singapore.

_Cons: Your child would be made fun of and beaten up for being a bastard like you were.._

Well that was depressing.

_Cons: Ana Maria would shoot you._

Good point. Okay Pro's now,

Pro's for leaving Ana Maria on Singapore.

_Pros: The Black Pearl and all the rum you could dream for._

_Pros:...Pros:...damn it!.. Is that all of them!_

That's all the pro's to it? What else was he supposed to expect, he leaves Ana Maria, he leaves his best friend, he leaves the best lover he's ever had ,and even worse he leaves his first born child.

He imagined what it would look like: the baby. A tan colored face with Ana Maria's eyes and his smirk, maybe her nose. Their child would be strong like it's mother, and maybe, unfortunately a devil like him.

He'd teach it better. Alcohol, bad. Working out your problems before they build on each other, good.

He couldn't leave Ana and the baby. He couldn't do it. It was wrong and he knew it.

But_ The Black Pearl. _She was another story. Bequeathed to him by one of his best mates in the world. He was left the _Pearl _to protect for the rest of his days, and when he took it over he had ever intention of doing so.

He put held his head in his hands trying to relax his tense muscles. He was going to need Ana Maria to make this decision. That was all there was to it, he needed his first mate's consult.

He got off the bed and walked downstairs. He didn't remember where she went, so he walked back upstairs, slammed the door behind him, and poured himself some tea.

Not as good as rum, but it'll have to do. You can't have alcohol and a baby.

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"Well, if you've canceled your appointment Mr. Townsend, then I guess I'll go."

"No! Daddy! I want to go with Ms. Maria!" Thomas yelled running for Ana Maria.

"Son, you're staying here. Ana Maria's not well." He said sternly at the young boy.

"She said she was fine! Ms. Maria never lies!"

"Inside voices Thomas."

Ana Maria smiled at the consistency Thomas had, but he was going to get himself into trouble if he continued arguing with his father.

"Thomas, don't argue with your dad. It's not very nice." She said sweetly at the little boy as she picked him up. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Promise?" He asked, big brown eyes searching hers.

"Swear."

"Okay."

She sat him down and bid the both of them goodbye and walked back towards her house in the dark. It had stopped raining about five minutes past. The silent dark was of some comfort to her, she didn't have to run home like in Tortuga. She could take her time, and that was exactly what she planned on doing.

She finally got to the shop and went upstairs. She opened the door and didn't see in the front rooms. She walked back into her bedroom saw Jack asleep on her bed. He looked sober to her.

Jack was sober! She expected him to go back to Shadow haven at the exact moment she walked out of the door. Get drunk enough to not remember his own name and pass out half way home, but that wasn't the case. Here he was plain as day and sober.

"Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks." She said quietly to herself.

"Who says I'm old?"

"You are gettin' up there Captain." She said falling back on the bed after taking her coat off.

"Twenty-six? You think twenty-six is old?"

"Older than me."

"Yeah, by four years!"

"Go to sleep Jack."

"Not until we talk about this."

She rolled over to face him. "You've made your decision already?" She said, making a face.

"Yeah,"

"Well that was quick. What'd you decide?" She said, almost fearing the answer.

"I've decided that when Gibbs gets back, I'm going to tell him to take her for another round until the baby's born and then we can all go back on the ship. All three of us."

"Jack that's another four months. Gibbs can't take her that long."

" A course he can,"

"No Jack he can't."

"Why not then?"

"Because then it's his ship, not yours."

"Who the hell made up all these bloody rules anyways!"

"Captain Morgan and a few others."

"Cap'n Morgan had a good taste in rum, all I rember about 'im."

"You never met Captain Morgan, Jack."

"Did too!"

"You did not you big liar, now get back on topic please."

"Well I don't want you on board pregnant and all that. It just doesn't feel right to me."

"Okay,"

"I don't know what to do love, all there is to it." He said looking at her eyes for some kind of answer that he didn't have.

"I think that you should go back to the Pearl and I'll stay here."

"I thought you were against that."

"I still am, but it looks like our only clean shot."

"Does it look like I'm interested in the clean shot? I'm willing to do whatever it takes Ana."

"Okay, how about this? Find the Pearl a new Cap'n.-

"As long as I'm still Cap'n of the Pearl." He added. He couldn't let her go, but he wasn't going to lose Ana Maria either, he couldn't afford too.

"How about you go back with the Pearl when Gibbs comes back. I'll stay here, then when the baby is a good six or seven years old we'll all go back to the Pearl."

"I'm not waitin' six or seven years to see my child,"

"It's all I can come up with Jack, you can't have an infant screaming during a raid."

"Ana,"

"Jack, if something were to happen to the baby because it was screaming, the person who's raiding us might good and well put a sword through her. I can't and won't let that happen."

"I guess, that'll have to do." He said, sighing defeated.

"Sucks being a pirate doesn't it?" She asked sincerely.

"Yes."

"It'll be okay Jack, we'll make it together." She said before she kissed him heatedly, feeling bad about the whole thing herself.

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Then next two weeks went by quicker than a spring time storm, or at least it seemed that way to Jack and Ana. Night fell on the new moon turning it a light orange, making it visible to all who wanted to appreciate it's beauty. Jack and Ana were part of these people.

They sat outside on the shop steps looking up at the bright orange looking moon. Jack couldn't believe something so beautiful was going to drag him away from everything he loved like something evil. Well, almost everything. He wrapped his arms around Ana Maria, watching her eyes drink in the moon. She looked almost fascinated by it.

"How about four?" Jack asked, trying to distract himself.

"Four?"

"Four years? Four years old is enough to understand what be quiet means."

"I guess that could work." She said thinking about the option.

"I'm coming back Ana,"

"I know Jack, I believe you."

" I mean before it's ready to come on the ship. I'm coming back. He or she will know who it's father is, more than just a pirate."

"You don't have to Jack,"

"I want too,"

"What about the crew?"

"The crew will either put up or shut up.-

"Jack you can't make it seem like I'm more important than they are-

"But you are more important than they are."

"I know love, but I don't want them to shoot you before she's born."

"She?"

"I want it to be a girl-

"And sayin' 'she' makes it so?"

"One can only hope."

"And they call me the crazy one."

"You are the crazy one."

"Must've rubbed off on you then."

"Must have."

"You think Gibbs will be back tonight?"

"No, if he was he'd of been here by now, he'll probably be here tomorrow."

"Is it wrong for not wanting him to?"

She wanted to say no, so badly. "Yes, you have a duty to the _Pearl_."

"Bloody Captain," He mumbled.

"What?"

"What?"

"You said 'bloody captain'. Enunciation an all,"

"Oh, former Cap'n of the _Pearl._ Pirate who gave 'er to me."

"What happened to him?"

"Ailment, died of alcohol poisonin'."

"I'm beginning to see a pattern here."

"Nah, rum ain't gonna get the best of me. I _own _the rum."

"You own it huh?"

"Yep,"

"Well _I _own you so that must mean that I own the rum,"

"You don't own me, jus' me heart."

"What?"

"Don' make me repeat it, it was awfully mushy. Somethin' a pirate shouldn' be sayin'."

"Fine, it was sweet though."

"Thank you." He said, kissing her on the head.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Mr. Townsend?"

"He's alright, lad's cute as hell."

"I wish we could take them with us."

"Man like him doesn't need to be out in the seas."

"I know, Thomas is going to be the hardest to leave."

"He'll be alright."

"No he won't. It'll break him."

"I'm sorry Ana, I know how much you care about the boy-"

"I know, it's not your fault."

There was a momentary silence as they admired the moon for a few moments.

"Can we come back?"

"What?"

"By the time we leave he'll be nine years old. He'll be attached to me more than now, can we come back and see them?"

He knew he was supposed to tell her no, that it was too dangerous to dock in more than one place time after time, but the way he was looking at her, saying that was going to be hard.

"Okay, okay."

She squealed almost uncharacteristically and turned around and threw her arms around Jack.

"Easy now love, you're going to hurt her."

"Her?"

"Well. If you want it to be a girl, than I guess I want it to be a girl as well."

"You're sure?"

"Women make pretty damn good pirates too," He said, he said throwing her a look for emphasis.

"Damn straight."

"You're not supposed to get the boy tonight are you?"

"No, I asked off so I could spend our last night together."

"Good idea." He purred in her ear. Everyone who'd slept with Jack knew what that meant.

"Jack!"

"What?"

She gave him another look.

"Fine." He said, knowing the look and knowing it was futile.

They sat out there watching the moon for a little longer and then they finally went to bed and fell asleep in each others arms. Well, more like Ana's head was on Jack's chest and he was sprawled out on the bed, knocked clean unconscious by the tiredness.

She wasn't completely asleep yet, she was preparing herself to watch him leave. So she could handle it and so she'd be able to a pirate and not a floozy.


	9. No regrets

Ana didn't sleep well that night and she woke up before Jack. She decided to use this rare occurrence to her advantage, starting with some hygiene. She filled up the bathtub and took a bath. She stepped into the hot water and her muscles instantly relaxed as they hit the liquid substance. This was going to be a hard day and she knew it. She was going to have to try to not throw a fit and not make him stay. She knew that all along getting involved with Jack on a romantic level meant being able to handle coming up short to _The Black Pearl._

She knew that, but did it make it any easier? No. Not even a little.

_"I'm coming back Ana."_

She smiled at his past words. He was going to come back. Well at least he said he was going too, and she had to believe that. She had to have faith in him, maybe he would keep his word if she did. She imagined what it would be like to be back on that old ship. She couldn't wait to see it again. She wanted to be sure Gibbs and Jack had been taking care of her.

She didn't doubt Jack's care for his first love. After all that was his forte, being a pirate. You could count on Jack to tell you, "what's a pirate without a good ship?".

She missed the sea and she missed _The Black Pearl._ She missed the blood sweat and tears she put into that ship, protecting her and the amount of strength it took to live on her. She missed the little things most of all. Like the taste of salt that was in everything she put in her mouth, even fruit held the taste. She missed the gentle rocking of the ship in the middle of the night that would keep Jack up in his own paranoia. He was always thinking that someone was after them, and when Jack didn't sleep she didn't either, or at least not well. She missed the talks they used to have when those nights happened. Without those nights, she would of never have fallen for him. She would of gotten sleep.

She got out of the tub and Jack was still asleep. She pulled her drawers out and put on her old clothes that she wore on her last day on the _Pearl_. Her 'pirate clothes'. She shut the door a little louder than she intended to and it woke the sleeping pirate up with a start.

"Who's blowin' holes in my ship?" He asked sitting up and rubbing his eye with one hand.

She turned from the drawer and smiled.

"Sorry,"

"Don't worry 'bout it love, looks like I'm supposed to be up already anyways." He said looking out of the window and at the outside world.

The people of Singapore were buzzing around chatting and getting their chores and errands done before the morning sun turned into the unbearable afternoon sun.

"People get up early here." He said more of a fact than a question.

"I know, it takes some getting used to."

"I'm going to be needing that back." He said pointing at her.

"What?" She asked looking at her clothes. She knew she didn't have his hat on it was on the side table in front of her.

"My shirt love,"

She looked down at her, or rather his shirt, and felt her face flush in embarrassment. She was wearing his shirt. Now she understood why "her shirt" felt bigger than it used too. Well, he wasn't getting it back now, she liked the way it felt on her.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"-Yes?"

"No. I'm keeping it."

"Well what the bloody hell am I supposed to wear?"

"You could go shirtless," She said playfully, eyeing his bare torso.

"If I go shirtless, you have to-too" He said stumbling over to-too.

"To also." She corrected him. "And no, I still have to live here and I don't want every man in the town to grab my ass and every lady here talking about the whore who's ass her husband grabbed."

"Oh come on for me?"

"No Jack. You can wear your other shirt that you bought the other day."

"I don't like that shirt as much as I like that one."

"No. That's final." She said throwing him another shirt.

"Fine. I'll just wear this one. I like this one better anyways." He said sarcastically as he pulled the lesser shirt over his head.

He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. She smelled clean and her skin was soft. She'd gotten up early than him to bathe to look nice for him. No one else did that for him. No one else cared that much about what he thought, nobody but Ana.

"I love you."

"I love you too Jack."

"You're not getting the boy are you?"

"No, not until after you leave."

"Good, let's go get something to eat."

"Okay, get your boots on and we'll go."

He pulled his boots on and situated his hat and followed her out the door. He stopped abruptly causing his boots to skid on the floor alarming Ana.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to lock the door?"

"No."

"You need to start locking the door."

"Jack, the only thing that people try to get rid of here is raccoons. This is nothing like Tortuga."

"Still, I want you to." He said standing still like he wasn't going to move another step until the door was locked.

"Fine." She said rolling her eyes and pulling the keys out of her pocket and locked the old, unsteady front door.

"There. Satisfied?"

"Yes."

"Good, can we go eat now? I'm hungry."

"Okay. Let's go eat."

They went to the local cafe, and took a seat at the bar. A young, over worked looking waitress came up to them from behind the bar,

"What can I get you?"

"Yeah, can I get an order of biscuits and eggs- what do you want love?" Jack asked looking at his first mate.

"I want a fruit plate."

"I'll be right back."

He waited until the young girl was out of earshot.

"Are you feelin' alright?" He said putting his hand on her forehead.

"Yes?"

"You hate fruit. You only eat it so you don't catch scurvy, and then you were still reluctant."

"It sounds good to me right now."

"Oh great! I have a fruit loving child." He said facing back towards the front.

He felt Ana's fist connect with his arm, it stung temporarily.

"What was that for?" He said, still facing forward.

"We do not have a fruit-loving child. I won't allow it." She said acting like she was getting ready to throw a fit.

"Ana, if she likes fruit, it's a good thing. I was merely making fun of the difference between her and her mother."

"Here you go." She said laying the plates of food in front of them. "That'll be fifteen shillings."

Jack dug the coins she requested and put them in her hand. "There you go darlin'." He said flashing her a smile. She looked like she hadn't seen one in a while.

"Jack?" Ana said after the girl left.

"Hm?" He said looking at her.

"Never mind."

"What is it love?" He said nudging her with his elbow, trying to be playful so she'd lighten up a little. She looked so serious, and that was never good. He wanted her to lighten up. He wanted their last day together to be pleasant.

"It's nothing important." She said taking a bite of her food.

"Okay,"

They ate in silence and then headed back for Ana Maria's house.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"What's the matter love?" He said planting kiss on her head.

"Nothin', I'm just gonna miss you."

"Me too." He said kissing her, not bothering to stop walking.

She stopped and backed him against the brick wall and deepened the kiss, tangling her fingers with his. They got so lost in the moment they didn't notice when Gibbs walked up.

Gibbs stood there with his mouth open for at least five minutes. After he recovered from that blow he managed to realign his top jaw with the bottom one and stood there patiently waiting for them to stop or to run out of air, which ever happened first.

"Cap'n?" He said pretending to clear his throat.

Jack's eyes followed the source of the noise, while still managing to stay in a lip-lock with Ana. He got it registered in his head that it was Gibbs, causing his eyes to widen and jump ungracefully back away from Ana Maria. Unfortunatly not remembering his friend the brick wall behind him and getting a painful smack in the back of the head.

"What are the two of ya doin'?"

"Nothin'?" Jack tried.

"Try again." Gibbs said sternly like the two were disobeying teenagers.

"Do we really have to talk about this Gibbs? We're all adults here." Ana tried to reason.

"I guess your right lass. I suppose Jack will tell me over a pint tonight. Right cap'n?"

"Right. Of course."

"So, should we get goin'?" He asked, pointing back towards the docks.

"Yeah, jus' lemme make sure Ana gets home, alright?"

"She's ain't commin' wit us?"

"No, not right now," Jack said, doing all he could to keep his tone even as he watched Ana do the best she could not to turn away from them. She still had a reputation to uphold for Gibbs, and he knew that.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you back at the ship."

"Alright mate, tell 'em Cap'n Jack'll be home in a minute or two." Jack said putting the words in some excitement.

"Whatever you say Cap'n."

Gibbs headed the other way and they headed back towards Ana's house, as slowly as they could without crawling.

"So,"

"So,"

"This isn't goodbye Ana, you know that right?"

"Yeah, just a temporary one."

"Come on, Ana. You left me the first time. No regrets." He paused for a minute to make eye contact with her. "Can you do that for me again?"

They walked up the stairs to her front door, and she unlocked it before giving him an answer.

"No." She said letting out a shaky breath. She was trying not to cry, he could tell, she couldn't hide that from him.

"Ana," He started softly leading her to the bed and laying down with her. "I've never said goodbye to anyone before. Never. I was out before they woke up in the mornin'."

She cuddled up to him and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.

" I know." She smiled. He was trying to be comforting, but really didn't know what to say. It was cute. _The Jack Sparrow _ was at a loss for words.

She needed to get it together.

"I'm a pirate Jack and so are you." She looked him in the eyes. "No regrets."

She kissed him and he gladly deepened it. She broke it off before they got too far into it.

"Go home Jack." She said looking in his eyes before standing back up.

She led him out of the shop and gave him one final kiss goodbye and she watched him leave out of sight and then went back into the shop and opened it for the morning without a single tear.

She was a pirate. No regrets.


	10. Ana and Thomas

Ana didn't know how long she had been sitting there at the register, flipping around the Sunday morning newspaper before the large oak door busted open and a young, hyper-active boy came running through the door.

"Ana!" He said colliding with her side in a hug, she felt more like she was supposed to be the breaks from the collision. She smiled, it was her hyper-active boy.

"Hello Thomas. How are you doing this morning?" She said picking him up and settling him on her hip.

"Thomas son slow down!" She heard a voice yelling as his came through the door. His hair was ruffled and his clothes messed up. He'd obviously had a hell of a time keeping the small boy away from her.

Feeling slightly sorry for the older man, she flashed him a small smile. "Good Morning Mr. Townsend."

"Mornin' lass, how are you feeling today?" He said perking up a little seeing Ana Maria.

"Okay I guess."

"Sparrow cast off yet?" He said, kind of treading on his words almost as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Yeah, not to long ago."

"He give you a time when he would be back?"

"He said he'd come back soon, and come back for me when the B-A-B-Y was four years old." She said spelling her words out incase Thomas hadn't been told that Ana Maria was expecting a child of her own.

"How are you taking that?"

"I'm alright Mr. Townsend. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

"What's the matter Ana? Is somethin' wrong with you? Are you sick?" He said mimicking what he'd seen his father do when she was ill and putting his hand on her forehead.

"Okay Charles Jr." She said sternly as grabbing his wrist and pulling it away from her face. The little boy looked at her as if he were a scolded hound. You couldn't be mad at that face.

She smiled at him. "I'm fine. Ana's a big girl okay?"

"Okay." He said looking down at the ground.

"Why don't you go up to my bedroom and after daddy leaves we'll go fine something fun to do."

"Okay!" He said practically jumping from her arms and running upstairs in good spirits.

After he left their presence she looked at Mr. Townsend.

"What's really the matter?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

"What?" He said turning around to meet her gaze.

"You've come in here like my own father. What's the real problem?"

"I'm worried about you Ana."

"Why are you worried about me? I mean.. Mr. Townsend, I've got everything any woman can ask for."

"A pirate who hasn't even married you for your child's father? That's all a woman can ask for?" He asked kind of harshly.

"You don't know him like I do Mr. Townsend." She said braking eye contact ,kind of angry that he'd put Jack in those words. Jack wasn't the ideal man, but he was more than enough for her. She loved him, and Mr. Townsend should respect that.

"Ana. You put way to much trust into this pirate, and you know that."

"Leave."

"What?"

"I've had enough of you accusations, just get out of here." She said trying to be forceful and respectful at the same time.

"Fine. I'll be back for Thomas at seven." He said being forceful enough for the both of them.

She'd made him angry.

"Okay."

He slammed the large oak door, forgetting it was the shop door and they were open today.

She gave him enough time to be gone and opened the door again so people could come in and buy things. What had she done that made him angry? Mr. Townsend was a hard man to upset.

Was it that she was leaving? He knew that she planned on leaving Singapore at some point. She'd told him that a few days after she'd been hired. Singapore was not a place for Ana Maria. Too many people.

This was going to bug her all day. She went upstairs and saw Thomas going through her closet.

"Thomas? What are you doin'?" She asked pulling him out of the closet and shutting the closet door.

"Looking for the pirate. I can't find him anywhere." He said looking up at her with big brown eyes.

"Son, he's gone back to his ship. He left this morning." She said smiling at his cuteness.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Then why did he leave this?"

He was holding up Jack's hat. Her smile dropped into a stupor. She swore he had taken it with him. He loved that hat, how dare he forget it.

"I thought pirates never left without their hats."

Jack five hundred miles away from Singapore, was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Gibbs!" He called from the door of his bedroom to the top deck. Gibbs turned from the helm to see Jack standing outside his bedroom door, doing his best to look stern.

"Aye Cap'n?"

"My office."

Gibbs handed the wheel to another member of the crew and headed towards Jack. He leaned forward and whispered to Jack.

"You know you don't have an office right? There's the your bedroom, the room wit' the map in it."

"The room with the map in it then!" Jack said full of irritation shoving Gibbs into his bedroom.

"Okay Jack what is it?"

Jack turned around to face Gibbs after making sure his bedroom door was locked.

"She's gone! I can't find her Gibbs!" He looking through a pile of books that he'd already been through.

"What- What the bloody hell are you talkin' about?" Gibbs questioned watching the Captain's odd behavior.

"Me hat! Me hat is gone!"

"Your hat. Is gone?"

"Did I stutter! Me hat's gone Gibbs!"

"Calm down Jack you prolly left it somewhere."

"No. I didn't. I looked all through this bedroom!"

"Have you ,maybe checked outside?"

"Great idea! Why didn't I think of it before?"

Jack ran outside on the top deck and looked around at the crew members without a job to do.

"Listen up you scallywags! I want every man who ain't already doin' somethin' lookin' for Cap'n Jack's hat! Savvy!"

An assortment of "aye's" came from the crew as they split up in different directions in search of the missing hat.

Jack leaned up against the side of the Pearl, biting his nails and thinking about where he'd last seen his hat. He'd last seen it in Singapore. He was out crusading around the town with Ana Maria and she'd bought him another shirt because she had caused a tear in the back of his other shirt with her nails while they were fooling around.

He would have a self imposed stroke if he had left it in Singapore with Ana Maria.

Ana Maria waited for Katrina to get there and then she took Thomas outside. She knew he loved being outside and it seemed to even calm him some.

They were walking along the boardwalk looking at all of the other ships that had harbored there. She had a hold of his hand so she would not lose him, but he made no effort to try to get away from her.

"Ana, why did the pirate leave?"

"Because, pirates belong in the sea." She said turning him around to see the ocean. You could never explain the ocean to someone. You could never do it justice.

"Pirates, hear the call of the sea and they respond to it. It's like they are owned by her. Battles and adventure and everything you could ever imagine is out there on the ocean."

She looked in his eyes for some kind of reaction. He looked fascinated by it. Thomas had lived by the sea his entire life, but he looked at it like he'd never seen it before.

"It's what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm going to be a pirate!"

"You are, are you?"

"Yep. I'm going to be a captain. A captain of a really scary ship, and no one will dare mess with me!" He said triumphantly.

She could see Thomas being a captain of a pirate ship. A big mahogany ship that was a force to be reckoned with. Something that even The Black Pearl couldn't handle. He would be a damn good captain too. He would probably lay his life down for his crew members. He would probably be as famous as Captain Morgan or Captain Sparrow.

He was going to be someone that anyone could be proud of. No matter what he chose to do with his youth or his future, she would always be proud of him. She had always tried to teach him the difference in right and wrong, and lying to someone you love or keeping secrets from them was wrong.

"Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"What's your father told you about me?"

"That your a really nice lady that doesn't know what's good for her. Says you remind him a lot of mum."

"He hasn't said anything about babies has he?"

"No, I don't think so why?"

"Well, I'm going to have a baby."

"Really!" He said wide-eyed.

"Yes, really." She said bending down to his level.

"Does daddy know! What did daddy say! Who's your baby's daddy! Does he know! What did he say! When are you going to have the baby! What are you going to name it! Is it a boy or a girl! Do you want it to be a boy or a girl!"

"Thomas. Thomas. Relax. Relax for a minute."

"So!" He said wanting his answer sooner than he was willing to wait for it.

"Yes your father knows. My baby's daddy is Jack. Yes he knows. I'm going to have the baby in four months. I want it to be a girl."

"You want it to be a girl?"

"Yes,"

"Well that's no fun." He said folding his arms across his chest in a pouting gesture.

"What do you mean that's no fun?"

"Girls are weird." He said stretching out the word weird.

"I'm a girl." She said nudging him trying to get him to spring back into Thomas mode.

"Well your an older girl. I'm talking about girls my age." He said breaking it down for her like adults often did to him.

"Don't worry son, that opinion will change soon enough. Come on, I want to show you something." She said holding her hand out to him so they could continue their expedition in looking at the various boats that had docked at the port in Singapore.

Jack was sitting in his bedroom, laying on the bed, flat on his back. Two whole entire hours of searching and his beloved hat had not been found. He was almost certain it had been left in Singapore with Ana Maria.

It just gave him, yet another reason to return to her.


	11. Oh, dear

It was now summer in Singapore, and summer meant miserable heat when you weren't out to sea. A lot of Singapore's fishermen and navy men had been bright enough to ship out for the extended heat. Ana Maria wanted to be on the ocean right now, it'd been a lot cooler. Right now she was almost seven months along and she was working four a week in the shop instead of her normal seven. It wouldn't of been cut down that much if she had her own way about it- Mr. Townsend had made her, he told her it was either slow down or be fired, and she couldn't afford to be stubborn, because being stubborn meant being broke. She had more than herself to consider now- she had her and Jack's daughter to worry about.

It was rolling around noon when Ana Maria got up to go to her bed room. She exhaled slowly as her new weight leaned into her sore ankles, sending bits of pain through them.

No sooner had Jack cast off and she had settled back down again had she blown up. She was miserably sick half of the time which interfered with her time with Thomas which was a fact she hated. She couldn't eat anything but things that had a high salt content to them-which she had observed Jack eating on more than one occasion. Salty jerky, Salty breads, Salty meats, it didn't matter, Jack loved salt. It seemed that the bloody bastard had passed the trait to their child. Her back hurt most of the time and she got tired more easily. She had no idea why women did this kind of thing volunteering , being pregnant sucked.

She felt the baby moving around, obviously disturbed about something. What ever it was, she hoped that the baby resolved it soon. It was painful.

"Easy there lil' bit, don't kick mummy."

She subconsciously laid a hand on her swollen stomach trying to settle the baby when Mr. Townsend strolled in and saw her standing.

"Ana! What are you doin' lass? You shouldn't be on your feet!"

"Now Mr. Townsend, I'm alright. I'm just going up to my room." She reasoned with the older man, heading for the bedroom, ignoring both the baby's protest and Mr. Townsend's protest.

"Well, wait a minute. I've got mail for you."

"Mail?" Finally something he had said caught her attention. "From who?"

" From Miss Elizabeth Swann and Mr. William Turner. Do you know them? It's addressed to you."

"No, I-" It'd dawned on her before she finished her sentence. Turner-Boot Strap Bill Turner. His name was William, his son had inherited the name! Will Turner, he'd wound up calling himself. The memories from their encounter flooded back to her, the good, the bad, and the undead.

She was sure she knew this "Swann" from somewhere too.

"Old aquatince of mine Mr. Townsend. Do you mind?" She asked holding her hand out for her letters and other mailings.

"Here you go lass," He told her and pretended to hand them to her before jerking them away. "Ah! Not till you get off of your feet missy!"

"Fine." She grumbled before going off on a rant about her treatment as an employee.

"Quit your complainin' lass and open the letter." He said handing it to her when he was sure she was balanced back on the stool behind the register.

Ana Maria smiled and snatched the letter and hastily tore it open, curious to see why in the hell Will Turner would be mailing her.

She scanned over the fancy parchment in confusion.

"Looks like a wedding invitation lass, read it." Mr. Townsend encouraged.

"Dear Miss Ana Maria,

You are cordially invited to witness the joining of Mr. William Scott Turner to Miss Elizabeth Marie Swann

in holy matrimony on August 12th. ...something...something...something.

Sincerely,

The Governor of Port Royal."

"Well are you goin' lass?"

"No, of course not. I can't," She answered, slightly annoyed at the answer as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear and resuming the newspaper that was at least two weeks old if not older. She was seven months pregnant, their wedding was in two months, she didn't have any way to get all the way over to Port Royal by the twelfth and there was no way she was going to risk her or her child just to go watch a boring fancy wedding. She hated the high society way of life, and she was sure that the future Mrs. Turner was just the same- they'd probably get divorced in a matter of months, giving good old Port Royal something else to gossip about.

It wasn't like she had any room to talk. She was having a baby out of wedlock, and the baby's father was a pirate who she couldn't nail down from one minute to the next. No body had seen Jack except for the Royal Navy, Mr. Townsend, Thomas, and of course the bartender at Shadow Haven, but that wasn't enough to confirm his existence to the town- she'd heard yesterday that she was a widow of a Spanish General who had killed himself in honor of some religion she wasn't sure even existed.

Oh well, what ever made them happy, as long as no one called her a whore- she was fine with it. She didn't plan on living here much longer anyway.

"Why aren't you goin'?"

"I'm too far along to make that trip Mr. Townsend. I figured you would agree, seeing as I can't go up to my bedroom by myself!"

"Ana, lass, you know that's for your own good- and your little one." He said gesturing to her swollen stomach.

"I know, I'll just send them a warm regards card and be done with it." She said pulling out some stationary. She saw one of Thomas's drawing's he'd made for her.

It was a five year old's impression of the sea, colored with bright blue and with a whole bunch of light mountains in the background- judging by the yellow, she thought that the blob was the sun- it had in big bold red letters at the bottom

To the best nanny in the world, love Thomas.

It was that one and the one he'd drawn for the baby that were her favorites, and she would keep them forever.

"How's Thomas doing today?"

"He's fine, not too happy about not being able to come here with you as much."

"I can imagine,"

"What do you usually do when he gets his energetic fits?"

"I usually take him a long the board walk and let him look at the ships or the ocean- it calms him down a lot."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, that and coloring. He's a great artist see?" She said turning the pictures around so he could look at them.

"Is that the sun?"

"I think so,"

She started writing out her regards letter to Will and Elizabeth when there was a loud knocking on the door, Mr. Townsend rose from the table he was leaning on the answer the door, but the intruders wasted no time.

They busted the old door down and Mr. Townsend leaned back against the counter reaching for his gun before he realized that it was the navy.

What was the Navy doing acting like they were here to arrest someone? Ana Maria wondered silently, walking backwards slowly getting ready to grab her own gun while catching her breath.

"Is a Mr. Charles Townsend here?"

"Yes sir, I'm Mr. Charles Townsend."

"Come with us sir, you're under arrest." They said trying to push him against the wall then cuff him appropriately

"Whoa! Wait a minute! What are the charges!. " Ana Maria hollered above the noise.

"One count of disturbing the peace, two counts of child abuse, and one count of paying a prostitute for services." A younger, fresh out of the academy, looking man read off a piece of parchment.

"I've done no such thing! I've never put my hands on a child or a whore!"

"I think it's best to be silent sir, we wouldn't want to upset the lady would we?" The other, older looking solider asked him.

"Ana!" He shouted looking at the younger woman, still not having have moved from behind the counter.

"Don't worry Mr. Townsend, we'll figure this out!" She shouted after him before he was escorted out by the two soldiers, leaving Ana Maria to figure this all out on her own.

She retracted her last statement, being pregnant did suck. Being pregnant and potentially in trouble with the law, was something completely different.


	12. The pirate

Ana Maria took a few deep breaths to calm her self. She could handle this as long as she didn't panic. It was all some big misunderstanding right? Mr. Townsend would just as soon kill his own self before laying a hand on Thomas..right?

She gently eased herself back onto the stool, her ankles were killing her and the stress wasn't helping.

She sighed. In most cases, it was Ana Maria's doing that got everyone out with their limbs and lives. Now it was different. Now she couldn't boldly charge into the jail house with a sword and gun in hand and demand he be released. She couldn't risk getting shot any more, and it wasn't like she was in any position to be seducing any one so she couldn't steal keys that way .

She needed help.

She grabbed her coat and hastily put her boots on and fled out the door and down the street, doing the best she could not to knock anyone over. She reached her dreaded location. Dr. Jones... he was the only way out of this.

She pounded on the door with the steel door knocker- defying anyone in the house to say they didn't hear it.

"I'm coming... just hold on one second."

He opened the door and Ana Maria bolted in- invited or not.

"Mr. Townsend's been arrested!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two guards that had personally come to his shop to arrest him were now the guards watching his cell and the others beside it.

Mr. Townsend sat leaned up against the wall-his hands holding his pounding head and his knees drawn up against him. He couldn't believe this. Everyone that knew him knew that the charges against him where bogus.

He knew that Ana would just about be pulling her hair out right about now trying to figure out what to do. He just hoped that she had grown wise enough in her time with him to know that this was something she couldn't handle alone.

He hoped that she went and got Thomas too. His sister would soon tire of the boy and his pirate antics, but if she didn't at least the boy was safe.

He needed to focus on finding a way out of here, and finding the person who put him behind bars to begin with.

"Ana, be wise lass."

If only he knew how wrong he had been. She went and got help from Dr. Jones. Ana Maria ran to someone she thought she could trust- not a pirate assailant.

"What do you mean Charles has been arrested?"

"The Navy came to the store, put him in hand cuffs and walked away with him! They arrested him! I need to call a lawyer. I need to find Thomas! Damn these shoes.. the man said that they would help the pain. It's only making it worse."

Ana Maria felt like she was going to lose all of her composure right there. She thought that if there was anything that Mr. Townsend needed out of her she could accomplish it. To find out she couldn't, especially that his life might depend on it broke her heart. All she wanted was to come through for him. Just once.

Dr. Jones gently pushed her down into the over stuffed couch and offered a comforting smile. He locked his eyes with her darker ones, it seemed to be the only time she would listen was in eye contact.

"It's common to have muscle soreness during pregnancy. It's nothing to do with your shoes. Thomas is fine, he's with Alexandra, his aunt." Her eyes seemed to soften as he talked. "Take a few deep breaths, this stress isn't good for the baby. I'm going to go get you some thing to drink, okay?"

"Okay,"

She watched him leave the living room and go into the kitchen. She relaxed as her shoulders were less tense. She felt like she had found help. She was so relieved that she had help that she didn't pay attention that the glass of water he had brought her looked carbonated.

"Drink this Ana Maria."

She took it from him and took a deep drink- it tasted right. She reached over and grabbed the edge of the table, feeling quizzically dizzy.

"Whoa."

"You're alright. Just a little sedative."

"Se-Sedative?!"

"Yes. Ana Maria,-

Ana Maria felt a shock of sharp pain shoot through her stomach and up her back. She didn't know much about pain except that it hurt, but pain like that was never good. It started to scare her as all of the scenarios ran through her head.

What if something was wrong with the baby?

"Ms. Maria, I want you to try and relax. The drink I've just given you is a new test drug that induces labor."

"You son of a bitch."

"Now dear, I thought you already knew about this. I paid Katrina to take you out of the shop while they arrested Charles, but looks like she wasn't quick enough. Doesn't really matter now, I've got you."

"I thought I could trust you." She growled.

"I thought that pirate would of told you. He's lucky he ported out as quickly as he did. I was going to get him too, but looks like-

He held up letters for her to see. She realized the hand writing on them. They were the letters that Jack had been writing her making sure she was okay. She thought she had lost them or had accidentally burned them, but he had them.

This was bad. Those letters contained where Jack planned on going and the course they were taking. They contained everything any outlaw or royal navy officer wanted to know about Captain Jack Sparrow.

"I wondered Ana Maria, why in the world you would be writing to a man named 'Mr. Smith'. -

"It's none of your business you bastard." She growled at him again.

It almost instantly clicked where he had found out about her letters to Jack. She had been baby sitting both Thomas and Dr. Jones's son, Alex, while he was on a house call. She'd laid both of the boys down for a nap and had some time to kill, so she sat down with some stationary and gave Jack the latest update on her life per his request.

She had just sealed it when he had come home and spotted the letter. He offered to put it in the mail with the rest of his billings in the morning. She agreed, but when that happened she had nothing to doubt him for. The man had saved her life before.

He read the letter- he must have.

"What does Jack have to do with my child." She demanded.

"I'm not stupid Ms. Maria, that child is the child of pirates. The both of you served on the same ship. No doubt in some type of officer position.- you became nothing more than friends at first then lovers."

"You know nothing about me."

Dr. Jones smirked and leant down to whisper in her ear.

"I know you're a pirate. That's good enough."

"Why now? Why go through Mr. Townsend? You've known for a while haven't you?!"

"Why?"

Dr. Jones didn't want to hurt Ana Maria more than necessary. He liked the girl and actually enjoyed her company, but it didn't change the fact that she was a pirate.

Pirates were responsible for the death of his son's mother. They shot her in the back of the head as if she were to be the victim of an execution. After that he vowed that if he ever came into contact with a pirate he would kill them, and he had stayed true to his word up until now.

He couldn't bring himself to kill her, but he wasn't going to let her waltz around like she were a law-abiding citizen. No, far from it. She was going to have this child under his supervision and then he would turn her in for piracy.

They of course would hang her in a matter of days, but at least he could make that up by raising her child properly. If the child's father dare return he would suffer the same fate as Ana Maria and Charles Townsend was up to his neck in red tape at the moment that there was no way he would interfere.

Things were going according to plan.


	13. You're true Identity

**A/N: Thanks to all my wonderful and patient reviewers. I hope everybody has Happy Holidays!**

Ana Maria liked to think of herself as a tough person. She liked to think she was strong, things like that, but she was wrong. She had no idea that something like this could be **that **painful. She didn't expect it to be as painless as getting your wounds cleaned and stitched, she didn't expect it to be that easy, but damn. She would of rather have been shot in the chest and live than go through this.

She silently vowed to kill Jack Sparrow if he ever put her through this again. She had to calm down, she had to figure a plan out to get out of this. She couldn't just let this bastard have his way. No way in hell would he kill her or even lay a finger on her child.

She took a deep breath as she saw _him _enter the room that he had taken her in to. It was a nice place, she had to admit the man did have taste. The covers on the bed were soft and by the stitch work she guessed that they were foreign. The floor had expertly polished cedarwood flooring put down. She didn't even recognize the walls as ordinary plaster. She betted it was even to Elizabeth's fancy.

"You're not going to take my child, Jones. You're not a stupid man." She said in a remarkably even tone.

"Nor do I want to, Ms. Maria, but it must be done."

"What are you getting at? You think that your doing God's will or something?" She spat at him in a lazy tone. She was getting tired quickly, too quickly.

"Ms. Maria, I don't want you to interpret this as some religous act. I want you to interpret this as rule thirteen in the Pirate's Code."

"'Something stolen from one, shall be taken out of the flesh of another?' Yes, I've always liked that rule, enforced it a couple of times myself, but you see Jones, things don't always work out like the code."

"What do you mean?"

She picked up a heavy blue flower vase and smashed it into his head as hard as she possibly could, hoping that it would knock him out. She watched him fall rather ungracefully to the floor and she assumed that it had worked.

She tried to stand up slowly. She had barely gotten up past her knees when she felt a jolt of electric pain run down her back and through her stomach.

She fell back down on the bed and let out an involuntary cry of pain. Something was wrong, she knew it.

"They're more like 'guidelines'. Come on Ana Maria, you've got to get out of here before that crazy bastard wakes up."

She finally stood up on the third or fourth try, and made it into the foryer. She fell on the ground there, cursing out of frustration,anger and sadness.

The stupid bastard put her into labor, she was going to have the baby by the time the day was over and Jack wasn't here. Jack wasn't here, there was no way of contacting him that was going to make a diference, she was in this alone. She couldn't stand, she was in more pain then she had ever been in her life. Her child was in some kind of distress and she had no way of correcting it.

Her only hope was that someone found her here, cause the fact was she couldn't even move.

In her weakened state she was having a little trouble getting a rein on her emotions as she felt the tears build up in her dark brown eyes. She wanted someone to help her, anyone she didn't care. She let everyone down, they would hang Mr. Townsend, Thomas was some where alone, and Jack would miss out on a life changing event because she ran him off, but most importantly her baby needed her to do something to get them out of this danger. She needed her to be an adult, and all she could do way lay on the floor and cry like a child as the pain intensified.

* * *

Jack reached over to pick up a hald full bottle of rum when he dropped it for no reason. Jack raised an eyebrow quizically, that was never a good sign. The last time he dropped a bottle of rum like that was when Turner Senior came to warn him, and that turned into a horrible mess. He lost the ship he'd chased for ten years, the ship that had been bequeathed to him by a damn good pirate and the best mate he ever had, but it gave him an opportunity. Alot of folks would take him for dead now. It also made him feel like a dog though, he had almost cheated on Ana Maria with _Elizabeth Swann._

He was just glad that some divine force interveined, and he hadn't.

He deseved to lose the _Pearl_, he was no captain. Captains were loyal to the people they loved, they didn't go kissing some princess, no matter how pretty they were. He swore to Ana Maria that he would remain loyal to her and only her, and he went and kissed Elizabeth Swann.

On top of that, Elizabeth was Will's woman. He had loved her since he was eight years old.Will was one of the best mates Jack had had in a while. He was willing to be clapped in irons and hung for Jack. You didn't get any better of a friend that that, and he was willing to throw all that away. He was willing to jeprodize everything for a woman he didn't even care about, not like he cared for Ana.

He hoped she was okay, she had to be getting close and would pop any day now, and he was still a month's voyage from Singapore.

When he got to Singapore, he would confess what he had done to Ana and accept any punishment that would ensue. Had it been in some alternate universe and she had kissed Will or something like that, he would want to know. Besides, wether or not she knew didn't change the fact that he knew, and something he never wanted to be was a scallywag that can't stay loyal to love.

"Smith!"

Jack stepped out of his room and came eye to eye with the Captain that he had bartered passage to Singapore from. It had costed Jack the rest of the gold on his person and two weeks worth of swabbing the decks, but it was the only way out of an unfortunate situation so Jack took it.

"Aye?"

"We're comin' up on a port, there's a shortcut to Singapore from there. I'll help you find another ship to take you. If you manage to do that, you'll be there by the end of the day."

"That's amazing news. When will we dock?"

"In an hour or two,"

"That's great. It's fantastic. Thank you, Cap'n, for everything. I appreciate it, really I do."

"Jus' wanted to help a fellow Cap'n out, is all. I trust you'd do the same."

"Fellow Cap'n?"

" I'd met a fellow in Tortuga once', drunker than all hell and this black woman came in for 'im. Told 'im it was time to go bac' to da _Pearl. _Naturally, I was intrigued, _**The** Black Pearl_, in _my_ dock? The _Captain _of such a ship in _my _bar? I had to see it. And my suspicions were confirmed, I had just served the mos' famous Cap'n, in perhaps all of the seven seas, and then about two years later he came to me and begged for passage- and I granted it to him."

"You're a damn fine pirate mate, and a damn good cap'n."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith."

In the distance, Jack heard the helm yell. "Cap'n! We're comin' up on the docks!"

* * *

A couple of hours and the longest boat ride Jack had ever been on in his life, he had made it into Singapore. He had never been happier to be in this town. He'd managed to cut a little over a month out of his trip. He hadn't been this happy in a while, actually. After things had been going for him, he couldn't wait to see Ana Maria. 

He walked towards Townsend's Store where Ana Maria resided, contemplating all the ways he could tell her how much he missed her and how happy he was going to be when he finally saw her again and got to hold her again.

He opened the strong oak door, surprised to see it closed and even more surprised to see the store abandoned. Where in the devil was she?

He checked up stairs-nothing. He felt his adrenaline level rise with anxiey at her absence. Okay, she wasn't at the store or in her apartment, so where was she? His instincts told him to go check at the Doctor's house, maybe she took the boy some where and he would probably know the location of their hangouts, considering she took his boy with her alot too.Yeah, everything would be fine.

He almost ran over to the Doctor's office, but he didn't want to make a scene so he settled for fast walking.

He knocked on the door and stepped back, waiting for the aristocrat to answer. When he didn't answer Jack knocked again, only louder. He heard a weird noise, and put his ear against the door to hear it better. It sounded like crying, it sounded like someone crying in pain. It sounded like a woman.

Jack, half out of being a good citizen and mostly out of his curious nature, kicked the door in. He'd long since learned that fancy doors like his usually buckled at the hinges.

He was horrified when he saw Ana Maria, his Ana, lying on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably, clutching her fists together in pain and curling up around her stomach almost in a defensive manner. She was completely helpless and completely hysterical. It angered him, because it looked like she had lied that way for a while.

He rushed to her side and gathered her into his arms and rocked her gently, willing to do anything to ease her pain and bring her some comfort..

"Ana! Hey love, shh it's alright now. I'm here. I'm gonna take care of you, I promise. It's alright." He kissed the top of her head and gently rubbed her shoulders and back.

"Jack! Jack it-it hurts so bad. God, it hurts!"

He let out a choked exhale as he brought her closer against him and held her tightly. Her tears soaked through his shirt and soaked the skin on his shoulder. Something was wrong, Ana Maria never cried like this, not even when she broke the bone in her leg and it wound up sticking through the muscle and flesh.

"Where's the doctor?"

"No! Jack, he tried! He's going to kill Mr. Townsend! He's going to kill me!"

"Okay, listen, where_ is_ he?"

"I knocked him out, he's upstairs." She said through the sobs and gasps of air she managed to take in.

"What happened Ana?"

"Get me out of here Jack, please. please!"

"Okay, we'll find you another Doctor. Let's get you out of here."

He went to pick her up and she let out a cry of pain at the slightest pressure. He couldn't move her without hurting her, something was terribly wrong.

"Ana, Ana! Listen, tell me what he's done to you. Tell me so I can fix it." He demanded sternly but gently.

He gave me this-this drug. He knows Jack, he knows that you and I are pirates and he was going to kill me and take the baby. He said induced labor. I came to him for help, Mr. Townsend. Oh god, Mr. Townsend"

Jack ran a hand down his face and rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't move her if she was in labor, he'd run the risk of hurting her and even worse hurting this baby. Whatever he was going to do, he was now forced to do it here. He didn't have a choice he would hurt her and risk futher damage. It wasn't something he was not willing to do. He wouldn't risk his baby or Ana. He'd risked enough already.

"Okay, Ana, you're going to have to trust me more than you've ever trusted me in your life. Understood?"

"Get me out of here." She cried, grasping his sleeve tightly.

"I can't Ana." He said choking down his own tears. She was in so much pain and so misreable had she been anybody else he would of shot her to put her out of misery, but he couldn't consider life without her, and it was the easy way out.. It was time for him to handle his responsiblities and grow up. He had to be strong.

"He'll kill us!"

"I'll protect you. I promise."


	14. My little girl

**A/N: Want to say thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, Johnnycakesdepp, captainme, JackNAnamaria, egypt, Hope-W and Smithy. You guys are awsome!**

**This one is a tad bit short, but an update nonetheless. Drink up me harties!**

* * *

Jack stood up gently, cradling a very fussy newborn in a purple towel that had been handed to him by the midwife.

She was beautiful, and already had Jack's heart in her tiny little hand.

He watched her intently for a moment or two, trying to memorize her every feature. She had Ana Maria's eye density, the eyes that could stare into your soul, but they looked like they would turn out to be the same shade of his own. All of her other features she had inherited from her mother, from her pouted lips to her forehead was the Ana Maria in her coming through strong. Her skin was a shade or two lighter than Ana though, must of been to his own blood.

He was terrified of dropping her or causing other bodily harm. He felt tears come to his eyes, he loved her so much. He thought of how angry he had been when he had found out about her, and was surprised that the feeling that he was feeling now was completely different. He was scared of doing her wrong, or failing her or her being ashamed of him.

He had no idea what kind of "dad" he was going to be, seeing as he was just a big kid himself. He hadn't planned on having any kids at all, for this precise reason, because he had no idea how to handle it. What would he teach her? All he had done since he got out of his own mums' house was illegal and ill-advised. This kind of thing was for people like Will, earnest, hard-working, trustworthy, etc. But he swore he would always protect her, he would always do the best he could, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do that would keep him from loving her. Just like her mother.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, yeah she's perfect."

"Come 'ere, 'n lemme see her."

Jack gently made his way over to Ana Maria and gently placed the newborn in her arms before he settled down behind her, resting her head on his chest. He was watching her interact with her mother. She seemed to know her, but Jack figured that was natural.

"Oh my gosh, look at 'er Jack,

"I' see love, she's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. "

"She 's good nature, don't ya think?"

"Her day has not been nearly as scary as ours love-

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Alright Ms. Maria, Mr. Sparrow, I'm going to go notify the navy about Dr. Jones. I'll be back in a moment or two. My apprentice will stay here with the two of you, should anything go wrong."

Jack looked at the scary looking older woman. She was his life saver, he would always be indebted to her. He would have been lost and he could of very well have killed both the baby and Ana Maria with the complications that had occurred. He had never been so terrified before in his entire life. The thought of losing Ana like that made it hard to breathe, and he was just thankful that she had been just so conviently walking past the house when he'd seen her out the window. Jack was the luckiest man in the world right now.

"Thank you so much, for everything."

"It's no trouble, Mr. Sparrow." She said with a smile and patted his forearm comfortingly. "It's my job."

As for the bastard that had done this to her, he'd woken up shortly after he had gotten the midwife and Jack picked up another highly expensive vase and hit him in the side of the temple, leaving him out cold-knocking him out permanently, if Jack's luck continued to ensue. After that Jack tied him up and stashed him in the closet so it wouldn't further upset Ana.

No one would _ever _hurt her or the baby without killing him first, and Jack was incapable of death so it was all square. Right now it was like he had the blinders on, all that mattered was Ana and his daughter. Nothing else matter, not that the kraken would surely catch him if he ever left the shallows, not that Gibbs and the remainder of the crew would be looking for what was left of him soon. Nope, right now, all that mattered was this child in his lover's arms, exactly as it should be.

"What should we namer'?"

"Hm?"

Ana Maria gave him a small tired smile. "What'd ya wan' to name 'er?"

"You name her, you had her."

"Please Jack? Tell me what you want to nam' her."

"I don't do names love."

"Fine, I'll nam 're, and you, my dear, don't get to argue."

Jack just smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Morgan Maria Sparrow"

"Morgan Maria Sparrow?"

"Yeah, I've always liked the name Morgan. Maria for me, and Sparrow for you."

He pondered the name for a minute against the rest of the female names in his vocabulary. It was the best he could think of, considering all that was coming to minds were the girls in Tortuga and he damn sure wasn't going to name his baby girl after those broads.

Then he thought about the Black Pearl and felt his chest stiffen with the realization that she was now in the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, hers forever.

"Say love, you think we could work Pearl in there somewhere?"

"Pearl? For the _Black Pearl_?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Jack, "

"Please?"

"Okay, Morgan Pearl Maria-Sparrow. When she asks why her name is so damn long I'm gonna tell her that its her daddy's fault."

"Aht! No swearin' in front of the lil' one!"

"Do you wan' to hold her?"

"Of course."

She slowly handed her off to Jack who cradled her head gently as she drifted back off to sleep. He kissed her gently as he brought her closer to the warmth of his own body, never wanting to be away from her again.

"I love you Morgan Sparrah' " He whispered to her as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.


	15. Wisdom is for the Wicked

A/N; I want to thank the genius reviewers, Smithy, CrystalizedHeart, Hope-W, Captainme, Johnnycakesdepp, and Sailin' Sparramaria (luv the new name, mate). Thanks for the support on this story! (hands out rum)

* * *

The next day Ana woke up to a five year old staring straight at her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin. It startle her a little into making her jump before she realized those brown eyes belonged to Thomas. It had to be late in the morning, judging by the unwelcome sunlight. 

"Thomas, what are you doin' here?" She asked him groggily as she squeezed her eyes shut to block out the harsh sun light that came pouring through the un-shielded window.

"Mornin' Ana! Jack! Ms. Maria's awake!"

"Quietly, Thomas, quietly."

"Jack made breakfast! He even let me hold the baby! She's so beauful! She looks like you!"

"Where's your father?"

"He's still in jail. Auntie left me here with Jack until you woke up." He told her intently.

She slowly opened her eyes as she heard Jack's heavy footsteps coming into the room. She lifted her head to see the so-called ruthless pirate holding her daughter who had been wrapped in a blue blanket. Ana Maria smiled as she saw him trying to adjust his walk so he wouldn't jostle her so much.

He looked at her and smiled. "Mornin' love."

She ran her hands over her face tiredly as Jack gently sat down on the bed with the baby when Ana first noticed that she was rather unsettled about something.

"The midwife said last night that the first thing you needed to do when you woke up was feed her." Jack explained as he watched Ana as she tried to catch up.

"Yeah, but-" She allowed her gaze to be shifted over to Thomas.

"Yeah. One step ahead of ya, luv. Me and the lad are gunna go get the elder Townsend, while you, ya know, finish up."

"Legally?"

"Uh, Yes." He said sarcastically like she should have already known. "They turned the _real_ mean and evil guy in last night, don't ya remember?"

"Yeah, in between having a baby and freaking out." She said, her wit matching his.

"Okay. You win. Here's Morgan."

He gently traded her off to Ana and stood up from the bed and walked towards the door, calling for Thomas to follow him. Thomas willingly followed like his very own puppy since Thomas was infatuated with Pirates. He wanted to know everything about them.

He would either make a hell of a pirate or a pirate's worst nightmare.

Charles Townsend sat patiently in his prison cell, waiting for his sister to come and get him. He was being held until Alexandra came with the bail money, which was ridiculous. Why pay bail for a crime you didn't commit?

He had been shocked when they brought Dr. John Jones into the prison. He heard them say that he had plead guilty to the counts for what Mr. Townsend was being held for, and that he was also being charged with attempted kidnapping and murder.

He was absolutely disgusted to find out who and why. He'd tried to kill Ana and take the baby. She'd done nothing but help that man. She had watched his son for no fee and was willing to assist him with any thing else. She was like every other woman in this town. She was just trying to get by, what kind of crime did he find in that?

Unless, he knew about her deepest secret. She'd been a pirate on perhaps one of th most famous ships in all of rebel history. The _Black Pearl_.

It worried him to no end. What if he had hurt her?

It just got worse when he saw Sparrow enter the prison, in all his glory, with his five year old son hanging at his heels.

"Sparrow? What are you doin' here?" He asked in surprise. His sister was the one with the bail money, what was he doing here? With Thomas no less.

"Nice to see you too mate." He greeted sarcastically.

"What's goin' on?"

"We came to get you out of jail dad." Thomas told him sarcastically as he tried to roll his eyes but he proved too young to pull it off.

"What?"

"As the lad says. We've come to get you out of jail." Jack explained as he ran his hand across the board of keys, looking for the right one.

"Did you pay the bail money? I don't want any more problems."

"Why does no one believe I can do somethin' legit?" He questioned to no one in particular.

He looked at th older man. He was looking at him like he was crazy or stupid. Probably both.

"Don't answer that." He said quickly before he could answer. "Ah-hah! Here we go."

He picked up the black iron key and slipped it into the lock, and turned the key.

"This was a big let down." He heard Thomas mumble. He looked over in his direction and saw him slumped with his arms folded across his chest, thuroughly disappointed.

"What'd you expect boy?" He asked in the voice he used for Will. It made him sound more experienced and when working with children, wether they be five or twenty-five, the more experienced you sounded was the diference in the time you got with their attention span.

"I dunno..a jail break I guess!"

"Thomas!" His father scolded lightly, looking slightly shocked at the idea of his son ancipating a jail break.

He'd probably be the same if he'd heard Morgan say something like that. Even if it was funny.

"It's all right old man, let 'im have his fun." He said letting him out of the prison cell. When he was close enough to Jack so the boy wouldn't hear him, Jack let him in on a little secret.

"The more you try to supress the piracy just makes him want to be one more. Let 'im have it while he's young, maybe you'll get lucky and he'll of grown out of it. Take it from someone who knows."

Mr. Townsend just looked at him for a minute, and realized he was exactly right. The more he pushed Thomas to drop pirates the more fascinated he would become with them and the more tempted he would be to become one himself.

It was exactly what had happened to Jack Sparrow, and now he was having to deal with the fallout.

"How's Ana?"

He didn't need to prodd into Jack Sparrow's background to know he was fixin to have a hell of a road to take.


	16. Again and for the Last

Thanks again to all of my fabulous reviewers;Captinme, Peppy87, JohnnyCakesDepp, and Princess Jack N Anamaria, you guys are the best people in all of fanfiction! I love you all- you pirates/pirateluvers!

props to Jack n Anamaria; for devoting some of her time to beta this chapter. It's hard to find somebody brave enough to try to sort out the stuff and actually make it readable! Thanks mate for everythin'!

Mr. Townsend came into Ana Maria's apartment and found her making breakfast for them for when they got back. She didn't seem to notice him, and it didn't take him long to realize that she was significantly thinner since he had seen her  
last. She wasn't pregnant anymore.

"Mornin' Ana."

She turned around and had never looked happier to see him. He smiled brightly as she came over to hug him, in which he gladly returned it, and got a grunt of pain from her in response.

"You alright lass?" He asked, releasing her as she stepped back a little.

"I'm fine, I'm just a little sore."

"Well, then, you shouldn't be standin'. Sit down and I'll finish breakfast."

"Okay."

She took a seat at her round table with three chairs instead of four.

"After I finish this up, you'll have to show me the baby," he remarked from across the room.

"She's asleep in the bedroom right now, Mr. Townsend, but she's beautiful." She added, her heart fluttering a little as she thought of the baby in the next room.

"I'm sure she is. I can't wait."

He quickly put the finishing touches on breakfast, but didn't even bother sitting it out on the table for he wanted to see the new little one.

He quietly snuck into the bedroom, and laid eyes on her for the first time. Ana didn't lie to him; in fact, "beautiful" was actually an understatement.

He had never been a man that was really interested in babies; he didn't even consider them before Thomas was born. Even after his own son had been born, he didn't really care for infants besides his own. There was something about that  
little baby lying asleep on the bed that made his heart melt. He felt like he was looking at his own kin, his niece, or someone similar.

He noticed that she wasn't as dark as Ana Maria, maybe a touch or two lighter, which probably was due to the Sparrow in her. She had Ana's nose, that much he could tell. She was definitely a beautiful baby. He quietly shut the door and went back into the kitchen, feeling significantly happier than before.

"Has Thomas seen her yet?" He asked, coming to stand before Maria.

"Yeah, Jack let him hold her after your sister dropped him off."

"Half-sister, actually. My father had a second marriage after my mother and a second child after me." He said sarcastically as he took a seat at the table.

"Thomas tells me she's a strict woman." She said as she took a sip of her coffee, savoring it slowly after not having it for close to ten months.

"Yeah, she can't really handle him and all of the energy he generates."

"Where is he anyways? And Jack?"

"Sparrow wanted to go check out the new ships for sale out on the deck, and you know Thomas had to go too."

Ana sat down her coffee and leaned her elbows on the table. "Why would he be looking at new ships? He's got the Pearl."

"That black ship? Lass, it's not out at the docks." He said motioning to the window where the ships could be seen down the street, bobbing in the bay at the docks.

"He better not have sold that ship or I will kill him with my bare hands."

"I'm sure he didn't. Just have a bite to eat and I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"Okay." She said reluctantly, her stomach getting the best of her.

True to his word, Jack and Thomas came in about ten minutes later, though Ana was not happy.

"Where were you two?" She demanded.

"Down at the docks!" Thomas proclaimed with more than a hint of thrill in his voice.

"Really now?"

"Yep!"

Mr. Townsend decided that the two needed a moment without a hyper-active five year old, so decided to take him away so that the two pirates could continue their conversation, "Come on son, let's go get Alexandra ready to board so she can go home, hm?"

"Can I stay here with Ana? Please Dad?"

"Why don't you go ahead and go home with your father, son? Ana and I will come and get you later, and we'll do somethin' fun okay?"

"Okay." He answered, all of the thrill fading from his disposition.

Jack watched them leave and shut the door quietly to not wake the baby. He turned to face his angry lover. He couldn't help but find humor in it. In all the time he'd known her, when she would throw these "hissy fits" it would make her look like a little kid instead of an angered adult.

"What's the matter, luv?"

"Don't you "luv" me. What are you doing looking at other ships?!"

She obviously wasn't playing. If he wasn't careful, she might actually throw something at him! You didn't mess with Ana's ship- she was likely to kill you. It was the pirate in her, which he was certain was the fate he would serve once she found out that he had let the Kraken eat it.

"Now, l-Ana," he corrected, "you're going to wake up Morggy."

"No, Jack, you can't talk yourself out of this!"

You can't talk yourself out of this one Jack.

"Bootstrap?"

"Bootstrap? What in the devil are you talkin' about? This isn't about Bootstrap!" She raged with steam practically pouring from her ears.

Times up Jack.

Jack looked around the room, and even under the table, ignoring Ana completely which only angered her more. He couldn't bring himself to focus on what she was saying- he was too occupied with finding his dead best friend/pirate.

Tell her Jack. Before she goes out to sea. What's yours belongs to Davy Jones.

That took the breath right out of Jack. He was safe on land, right? Morgan and Ana were safe on land. Jones would never think about touching them. Everyone thought that the Kraken took him down with the Pearl!

He was a dead man. This was a part of his overactive imagination that people kept telling him he had.

"Jack Sparrow! Are you listening to me?! What are you looking for?!" Maria stormed, ready to box his ears.

Jack finally snapped out of his worrisome thoughts and turned around to face a raging and irritated Ana. The one that was likely to kill things, or people.

"Nothin'. You said the boy liked ships. I had to entertain him somehow."

"Where's the Pearl, Jack?"

"She's in the docks, l-Ana."

"Where's the crew?"

"I dunno; they must have left them at the last port. Damn it, I always mean to take a head count!"

"Jack? Why are you lying to me?"

"How do you know whether or not I'm telling the truth?"

"Because that story is bullshit and you know it. Tell me, what. you. did. with. the. Pearl!"

"I..kinda...accidentally...ran..out.. of-"

"Of?" she prodded.

"TimeandtheKrakentookherdown."

"What?"

"The Kraken took her down." He confessed reluctantly.

"Davy Jones' Kraken, took the Black Pearl down?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," came her reply, accompanied by an annoyed roll of her eyes, "Now what really happened to the ship?"

"That's what really happened to the ship."

Ana just stood still for a minute or two, trying to fully absorb what Jack had just told her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious. He never told her that Davy Jones would come after the Pearl someday. That was why he didn't want her to go back. It wasn't because she was pregnant, it was because he was going to try and fight off the Satan of the seven seas.

He had lied and manipulated her. Again. Again, and for the very last time.

"Get out of my house, Jack." She ordered emotionlessly as she walked back towards her bedroom to see why her daughter was crying.


	17. Daddy Dearest

As always, my reviewers are the coolest people on the face of the planet. Thanks for your reviews; Princess JackNAnamaria, Peppy87,Hope-W, and Nannii. You are all awesome!

Special props to: Princess JackNAnamaria for inspiring this chapter with her thought cloud. Thanks mate, I owe you one big time!

Without further ado,

* * *

Jack had done what was best for the both of them and left the upstairs apartment without a fight. He had no doubt that if he hadn't, she would have thrown him out anyway.

He was now in the only place he knew to be when things got hard. He was in a bar, having a few drinks.

He knew he shouldn't be here, doing this, but he didn't know what else to do. He was getting ready to order his third round when he felt the weird sensation that someone was watching him. He turned around and took survey of the room, noticing a few strangers and a group of suspicious people at a very back table to the left.

They were a group of three men, the one in the middle looking oddly familiar. It was in his eyes, deep blue, undoubtedly European, eyes. He turned around quickly before the man realized he was on to him. Jack would know th man in the middle any where. It was the man that Jack hated more than any person in this world. The man in the middle that was his father.

The European solider he saw about once year his entire childhood. The one who left when he was eight years old to be raised by his Cuban raging alcoholic mother. The one who never gave a damn about him or his well being. He only cared about his god-damned treasure. Jack decided to not let his mind wonder back to those retched years. It was too late now to do anything about it anyways.

He only hoped that he didn't come and try to talk to him.

The man in the middle, going by the name of Jonathan Sparrow, was watching his son, wondering where the time had gone. He had to be at least twenty-seven years of old now. He wondered how long he had been here, in this old dusty bar.

He looked to be one drink away from an alcoholic rage, just like his mother used to be. He couldn't believe he let his only son turn out to be this way. He couldn't believe that he had turned into the sort of man that let this happen. He wondered why he hadn't done more to intervene. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had. He fought the urge to just turn around now, while he still had the chance. They hadn't left on good terms, and he knew in his gut that they wouldn't meet on any better ones.

He remembered their last talk that happened eleven years ago, like it was only yesterday.

Jack was packing his things to leave his mother's house so the new suitors could move in. They had just buried her that morning after she had drank herself to death two days ago. Jack had shown no signs of remorse or grieving for his mother's death and Jonathan couldn't bring himself to blame him. He also couldn't blame Jack for not talking to him. They hadn't spoken since last summer, and Jack had only sent him a letter to let him know that his mother had died and he was welcome to the funeral. He had shown up to pay his respects to Estelle, Jack's mother, and take him home with him to Europe. Jack had said no, that he was going to leave this town on his best friend's ship, and sail as first mate under a Pirate flag. They had the biggest fight Jonathan had since he left Estelle.

"No way in hell is a son of mine sailing under a Pirate flag! You'll get yourself killed! You're sixteen!"

"And what the hell would you care?! You show up once a fucking year!" Jack shouted back, clearly upset that he had picked now to have a fight with him.

"It's unsafe for me to stay in this town for long amounts of time, you know that!" He rectified.

"I've seen people offer you pardon, you wouldn't take it!" Jack reminded him angrily.

"What about my treasure? Who'll take it when I'm gone? I can't give it to a pirate!" He asked, feeling the vein in his temple throbbing with pure anger.

"It's all about you! That's all it ever was!"

"You're just like your mother, you know that?!" He told Jack, willing to say anything to win the argument.

Jack pulled back from the fight and went back to packing, obviously hurt by the statement.

"Jack." He said softly, guilt washing over him.

"Shut-up, I have nothing left to say to you. I'm leaving with Dalton and the Black Pearl tonight, and with any luck I won't ever see you again." He spat out with venom in his voice.

"Get out of my house." He said over his shoulder.

"You're a never ending battle." Jonathan said as he walked out of the door.

Jack inwardly agreed that's all they ever were.

He excused himself from the table he was sitting at while gathering all of his courage and bravery.

He knew he didn't have the right to pull up all of the painful memories in Jack, but he had no choice. He needed to talk to Jack, to inform him of the dangers that lurked for him and the treasure.

For the past year, he had been hearing rumors of people searching for the Sparrow's treasure. At first, he decided that no one would be able to find it since Jack hadn't uncovered it.

No one would be able to find it without the help of a Sparrow, and he couldn't deny that he was getting older. He wouldn't be able to keep it protected forever. In fact, he'd be surprised if he kept it safe for another year, and with no other male heirs, Jack was his only chance of securing it to Sparrow blood.

With any luck, Jack might have a son and he could turn out to be more responsible than his father, but he doubted Jack even had children yet.

He took a seat next to Jack at the bar, but didn't face him. Jack made no sign that he acknowledged him sitting there, so he figured he would start off the conversation.

"Hello, Jack."

"I refuse to talk to you. I meant it then and I mean it now." He said clearly. He apparently held his alcohol better than his mother had.

"You know that you can't avoid me forever. We have to end this battle eventually." He started.

"I disagree."

"I've come to show you something." He said as he laid a map out in front of Jack.

He saw Jack's eyes scan the map and was pleased to see that he immediately recognized the course.

"The map to your treasure."

"Our treasure. The Sparrow's treasure."

"Your treasure." Jack repeated firmly, in no certain mood to argue with a man he didn't even want to talk to.

"It's in danger."

"Sorry." Jack said, topping off his glass with the bottle that the bar tender had left him.

"You must help me retrieve it."

Jack cleared his throat, remembering the night that he and the man next to him had last talked.

It was the day of his mother's funeral. She drank herself to death, much to Jack's disgust. He could never forgive her for dying that way.

His mother was a slave to tonic and gin. She couldn't help herself, and she always drank. Jack hated her for that. He hated her for being so defenseless that alcohol took control, _alcohol_ of all things.

She was always one drink away from an alcoholic melt down or rage. She would scream and curse at Jack, telling him it was his fault that his father was never around. She never meant it, and would apologize when she was broke and forcibly sober, but it still hurt.

No matter how many times Jack told himself it didn't matter or told her to forget it, it still hurt. She told him on some occasions that he was the reason she drank. He was also the reason they never had anything or never had any money.

He believed that there was a time when wished she never had him. On time she was actually brave enough to say that she wished he _had_ died when he nearly drowned after he hit his head on a dock post when he and Dalton were taking turns jumping off.

Jack swallowed thickly, knowing that the bastard sitting next to him had subjected him to all of that abuse. He did it for the reasons Jack wouldn't accept. He did it for all the reasons Jack submitted to piracy in the first place. For fear of being so afraid of the consequences he wouldn't do what he wanted or what was right.

Johnathan Sparrow did what he did because of his cowardice nature. He did it because he was afraid of Cuban law and afraid of his mother. He couldn't believe he even had the nerve to ask him something like this. When Jack needed _his _help, he was no where to be found, and Jack always had the intend on repaying the favor.

"No."

"Do you remember how much it's worth? It's the largest treasure in the Mediterranean. With the time that's past, it's worth even more! How can you refuse this?" He asked bewildered at his son's lack of interest.

"You want to save it. You don't want to spend it. I know you better than you think." He said finishing off his fourth glass.

"You help me retrieve it; I'll cut you forty percent."

He pondered the thought for a minute. That kind of money was a fortune. Forty percent of that treasure would be enough to support him, Morgan, and Ana for life. He couldn't afford to cop out because he wanted to get one up on the old man.

He couldn't sacrifice that kind of financial security for his daughter and Ana just to be able to say " I told you so.".

Even with that thought, Jack was going to make Jonathan pay, one way or the other.

"Call it sixty-five, old man." He said as he topped off the fifth. "-and you have a deal."


	18. How can you tell which way was right?

**Thank you to all my reviewers. You guys are great!**

**I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy and incarcarated with a heavy load of writers block-which my friends Dani and PrincessJackNAnaMaria have managed to cure.**

**Dani I'll be sending you that chapter here very soon. Just be patient for a few more days!**

* * *

The walk out to the deck sobered Jack up a bit. He was sobered enough to remember his little deal with Davie Jones that kept him away from the water. It had been a small fact that he had forgotten about at the bar.

However, he clearly remembered it now.

The Kraken would probably resume looking for him just as soon as it got a whiff of him. All that had happened over the past year could be reverted. The crew could die. The ship could sink. His luck could not hold out on him. _He_ could die. He could head out to sea and then never return. The fight he had with Ana could be his last conversation with her. It could very well end like this.

Jack stopped walking rather abruptly and felt like slapping himself.

Where was he getting off thinking like that? It wasn't very pirate-like. He was thinking like a coward. He was thinking about his safety for God-sakes! What pirate was he? He didn't make it this far thinking about safety.

What did he care about safety?

After all, Ana made it very clear that she didn't. She'd thrown him out.

He could die on the street tonight in some freak accident and she wouldn't know a thing about it.

Even though they were having their problems, he wasn't too worried about making up with her. It'd be fine. He'd come back with a decent check book and all would be well. She might not ever fully trust him again but Ana was pirate lass enough to end a fight with some gold coins.

Morgan.

This was for her. He was doing this for her. It wasn't for him and it wasn't even for Ana. It was for Morgan Pearl Maria-Sparrow.

Morgan would have everything he didn't. She would have the financial security he owed her as her father. She would be provided for. If he failed everything and everyone else she wiat the very least have him. He'd already made that promise.

But that feeling...

The feeling that said something wasn't right. The feeling that said something was wrong and he shouldn't go through with it.

He tried to keep walking towards his father's ship. It was all in his head. It'd be fine. He'd get the job done and worry about the consequences later.

No matter how many times he repeated it was in his head: the feeling gnawing at him told him to turn around.

It told him to resolve this with Ana. It told him to go back and hold Morgan one more time. He stopped, giving in to it. Maybe he was finally developing a conscious. Maybe he was finally turning into a good man that Lizzy had wanted him to be. He could be turning into a better person. Who knew?

Besides, he knew, if he had listened to his gut a few more times in the past life might have been a little easier.

"Wait." He said, giving an exasperated sigh.

He was more irritated with this than Jonathon would be. This meant more time spent with the man.

This meant a time delay which every Captain hated.

"What? We have to go before the sun rises." He said motioning out towards the ocean.

"I-I, uhh, have to go see my first mate real quick. Consult with her." He said pointing towards the center of town where their apartment was.

God was this getting embarrassing.

"_Her_? Your first mate is a woman?" He asked, completely amused by the idea.

"You don't know her. She's the best for the job. " He defended. Ana Maria was by no means defenseless and she was damn good at her job while she had it. The Black Pearl had never done better. "- _and_ I owe her a ship." Jack added reluctantly, remembering that was the only reason Ana had stayed in the first place.

had wanted her to stick around so _he_ never bought her another ship after the Dauntless sunk as he had promised. He made the snide remark

After that he had silently vowed to never _ever_ break a deal with Ana Maria ever again. Even through the rather vulgar threats she had he had surprisingly stayed.

She didn't leave at the first port they stopped at like she had so very violently promised to do.

She'd done the opposite and unpredictably elected herself first mate of the Black Pearl. No body disagreed with the idea. They'd seen her nearly blind Jack with a black eye after she attempted to beat him senseless after not fulfilling his end of the bargain. They weren't going to disagree with a word she said.

Gibbs was more than happy to share the responsibility of watching Jack's back and to be honest; no pirate on the Black Pearl was brave enough to tell her no. It would have been proper suicide.

"You owe her a ship." He laughed.

Jack turned around and glared at the old man. "Are you coming or not?" He said, getting irate. He knew it was stupid, but it was something he had to do.

"Yes. Yes. I'm coming." Jonathon said, following him, still laughing.

He followed him down to the center of town and was completely amazed by the way Jack paraded through town. He was a Pirate. A wanted outlaw.

These people just minded their own business, some giving a kind smile or a wave.

"Do these people have any idea who you are?" He asked in a low whisper.

"No. They don't. They never asked and to be honest they really don't care. This place is full of refugees and as long as you get a good days work in then that's all that matters." He told him. He tried not to get overly irritated with the man. He didn't see why it should matter. It wasn't like he particularly cared about Jack's safety or anything. These people were mostly harmless fisherman and sailors with families of their own.

"I see."

They arrived at the Townsend's barter store and Jack reached above the door frame for the key. He blew a sigh out through his nose after he discovered it missing. She'd taken it in with her just to be sure he didn't come back that night.

He knew he should have been surprised, but really wasn't. Ana had decided that he wasn't welcome there that night and had done well on her decision to keep it that way.

He'd make her regret that. He knocked on the door as loudly as possible. The noise he created resembled a bust in: she'd have to answer it. He smiled when he saw the light come on in the over head apartment, feeling that he won. He was surprised to see another figure in one of the rooms with her. A tall figure. He could tell that it wasn't Mr. Townsend.

It was another man.

Jack almost stopped breathing. Ana Maria would never go that far. Not in their house. Not where their daughter was. He told Jonathon to step back as he kicked the door in. He would get to the bottom of this.

He raced up stairs to see Ana Maria sitting down at the table with a glass of tea. The man he had seen from the window was sitting across from her. He didn't look threatening. He was at least Gibbs's age if he wasn't older. He had multiple scars running along his face and arms, suggesting heavy war fare in his time. He bore the "P" tattoo on his wrist that the East India Trading Company branded on their Pirate victims. A pirate himself, was he?

His gaze shifted to Ana Maria. She looked at him like he had just shot her.

"What are you doing here!" She asked in a loud whisper. She noticed Jonathon leaning against the panel next to the door. "Who's he?"

"Depends, who's this?" He asked her, shifting his gaze between her and the stranger.

"Captain Davidson." He introduced himself, extending a hand that Jack reluctantly shook. "Well, well, Captain Jack Sparrow, it is a pleasure."

Jack was sure he hadn't even seen him before. "Have we met?" He asked.

"No. No. -

"I was on Kerry's ship, the Santa Maria, as a kid. It's where I got my name. I grew up on that ship." Ana Maria explained. "Who's this?" She asked again, motioning towards Jonathon.

He stepped forward and introduced himself. "Jonathon Sparrow, ma'am."

"Sparrow? So you're what, Jack's brother?" She asked, looking him up and down trying to determine the relation.

"No. I'm flattered and all, but I'm his father."

"His father? Really, now." She said, a malicious smile appearing on her face. "Jack told me his father was dead."

"With good reason." Jack told her with a nod of his head. "Where's Morgan?"

"Asleep in the bedroom and no you can't see her right now." Ana Maria told him.

"You don't get to tell me when I can and can't see my daughter, luv." He said to her with a mock salute as he looked from her to the bedroom door.

"Daughter?" Jonathon asked, clearly surprised.

Ana let out a deep sigh as she shook her head. Jack headed to the back bedroom to see Morgan with his father behind him. She could just shoot him some days. He had the nerve to lie to her about the Pearl, lie about her home, and then break into her apartment after she told him to leave, now he wasn't going to listen to her. Jesus, she could just kill him.

She felt Kerry's hand touch her arm. She looked up at him. " It's fine, Lilly-bit." He said with a smile.

She smiled back. "I can't believe you still call me that."

"You may be grown, but you'll always be "Lilly-bit" to me."

"Just because I used to play with Lilly pads as a kid. It's earned me a name forever." She said, jokingly.

She realized for the first time that she owed Captain Kerry Davidson her life. Had he been anyone else they would have killed her for stowing away. They would have spared her no mercy because she was a child. He saved her. He taught her everything she needed to know about staying alive out on the ocean. He taught her to read and write. He taught her about animals, telling her that man was the most dangerous of them all. He had practically adopted her.

She remembered her days on Santa Maria clearly.

She had just turned eight years old and had run away from her father and stowed away on the first ship she could find. She had wanted to be a pirate and her dad said that she couldn't be one. By God, she'd show him, wouldn't she? She climbed inside a barrel as the rest of the crew loaded the ship. She heard the clatter of the crew members and the loud profanity and it began to scare her a little. She had reminded herself to stay put or they would find her. She didn't want to be found until she reached Tortuga. When she reached Tortuga she'd find a real Captain and sail on his ship. She would be respected and no one would mess with her just because she was a girl.

She had started shaking when the sun had set since it had gotten really cold out. She decided she would be really quiet and sneak out and find a blanket.

Not knowing the layout of the ship, she had stumbled into the navigation bunk, where he had been plotting their course.

She found a blanket laying across the back of a chair and reached out for it when he spoke. "Excuse me?" He said to get her attention, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Who are you?" He asked gently.

"An-Ana." She stuttered, feeling very much afraid of the older and bigger man

"Ana, eh?" He asked, taking the blanket from her and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Ana what?"

"Just Ana, sir."

"All right, "Just Ana". What are you doing on my ship, child?" He asked, walking back over to his mapping table.

"I'm heading for Tortuga." She told him warily, not moving from her spot.

"Tortuga, eh? Well, I guess it's only fair to inform you lass that we're not headed for Tortuga. We're headed the opposite way, actually."

"Oh. Well, then, can I ask, where are we headed?"

"Montebello. I've got some trade to do with some friends." He said before looking up from his map at her. "Come here a minute, child."

She cautiously walked over to the navigation table. She knew that it was a map leading to some where, but didn't know quite where. She couldn't read.

"Where are you from?"

"Hispanola, originally, sir, but when mother died, father moved us to Panama and then to San Juan."

"Looks like you've been around yourself." He said, smiling at the young girl.

* * *

Jack carefully picked the sleeping baby up from the bed and cradled her against him. He felt his heart sink a little with the thought that he had to leave her behind while he chased the treasure. He heard his father's sigh of admiration from in front of him. 

"She's beautiful, Jack."

Jack looked up at the man and gave a small nod. "Just like her mother."

Jack had made his decision. No matter who or what came in to their lives, Jack would never leave Ana Maria. He would never love another woman like Ana Maria. He would be sure that she never loved another man.

When he got back, he would propose to her and make her his wife.

He would not let his fears run his life. He wasn't going to let Morgan grow up with him thousands of leagues away. His fears of commitment would never outweigh his fear of being alone.

He would do things the right way from here on out.


	19. When You Leave

Jack leaned on the panel of the ship, watching the sun rise over the ocean's horizon. He had never been happier to see a sight he had seen millions of times before. Jack hated to admit it to himself, but being back at sea felt pretty damn good. He relished in the fact that the sea felt more like home than any apartment above a Barter's place ever did. He couldn't wait to introduce this kind of feeling to Morgan. He hadn't felt this, this, _complete, _in a long time.

All until, Jonathon Sparrow came into his peripheral vision. "We're headed on a clear path to the island." He informed. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"What's the matter, Jack?" He asked. "You've not said a word since we left the docks."

"Just don't make a habit out of talking to strangers." He answered.

"Soon or later you're going to have to move on from that." He told Jack. "I did."

"I don't ever intend to forgive you for what you did to me, or Estelle." He told him hastily, shocked that he even had the guts to even suggest it. "And so God help me I will never forgive you for what happened to Dalton because of what you did to me." He threatened.

"Dalton? The boy you ran off with in the Black Pearl?"

"Yeah. The Black Pearl was his. He put his heart and soul into that ship." He said proudly.

"So what happened, Jack?" He asked, getting frustrated with his son's attitude. "Did he get killed on some Pirate raid? He drink himself to death like you always threaten?"

"I killed him! Okay?!" Jack yelled, stomping away from the irritating man that dared to touch on the subject of Dalton. This was a subject that he hadn't discussed with anyone. Not Will. Not Turner Sr. Not even Ana, the mother of his child.

"You killed him?" Jonathon's voice followed, not believing what he was informed of. "You killed Dalton Bradenson?"

Dalton had been his best friend. The only friend he had in, Coresta, that Cuban hell hole that the inhabitants had the nerve to call a "town".

He had been the one to take care of the wounds that his mother caused when she broke alcohol bottles on him. He had been the one to convince Jack that tomorrow was another day and that it would all be fine in the end. Dalton had worked his hand to the bone to get the money together for the supplies to create the Black Pearl. He was in the same position as Jack, being so desperate to leave that he would do anything. Dalton had a job as a Blacksmith and then doubled over and worked a second job as a bartender for the money enough to build the Black Pearl.

Dalton had carved the Black Pearl from his own design, and she was the fastest thing on the sea. He could clearly remember Dalton's laughter as a pursuing ship threw things overboard to try to compensate for the speed of the Black Pearl.

The ship had been his brain child. It had been his heart and soul, and Jack had the honour of being the First Mate and then the Captain. He still battled with himself over sinking it in end. He comforted himself by telling himself that Dalton would have done the same thing. Dalton valued the lives of others and would have given it up to the Kraken long before Jack had. Sometimes that helped, sometimes it didn't.

He became the Captain on December 21, a week after Dalton had died. He had died of an off set fever, induced by a long lasting infection from a particularly nasty stab wound from a Pirate raid. He took the wound for Jack, it's intending target. He died in Jack's arms before they ever had a chance to make it to the port where the medicine was held to better improve Dalton until they could get him in to see a Doctor. That day haunted him, twelve years later.

He walked into the Captain's quarters were Dalton was in bed, sweating bullets and coughing uncontrollably. He had been sick for the past few months, and only in the last few weeks did he start to really regress. It had all started out as a common injury, now he had a horribly nasty fever, one that would have already gotten Jack. Jack He rang out another cold rag for Dalton, trying desperately to cool him down until they got to the Port.

"You know that you're the Captain from now on, right?" He asked, taking a short and ragged breath. "I'm done. We're not gonna make the Port."

"We're gonna make the Port. Dalton, you're gonna beat this, all right? It's gonna take a whole hell of a lot more than a nasty fever to get you." He explained, masking Dalton's forehead with the rag.

"Jack. I'm not giving up, okay? I just need to be realistic here."

"Realism doesn't exist. You said so yourself."

"Yeah, I know, but I lied." He confessed. "Let me finish, okay? This really sucks, and I don't want to waste my energy fighting with your stubborn ass." He told him before breaking out into a violent coughing fit. It ended after about five minutes and it had been a relatively rough episode. "Just sit with me, please? I don't want to be alone." It stung something in Jack to hear Dalton sound like a scared child. He nodded, pulling up a stool.

Everything in him screamed that he just walk out of the room and hurry the plans to dock. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that even if he did, Dalton wouldn't be dying any less. Dalton was done and he refused to let his best friend die alone.

"Do you remember, when we left?" He asked. "Left Coresta?"

"Yeah. Swore we'd never go back."

"I want it to stay that way, Jack. Never go back to Coresta."

"No problems there."

"The Black Pearl." He sighed, his eyes tearing up with the thought of leaving behind his beloved ship.

"Hey, it's okay." He comforted. "I'll take care of it."

"I know." He nodded. "Be careful who you trust as your First Mate, okay?" He warned. "The best of pirates can lose their ships to a bad First Mate. I got lucky with mine." He said, looking at Jack with a small smile.

"I'm the lucky one, mate. Not you." He said as the tears threatened to fall.

"Matter of opinion, I guess. Oh, and one more thing. If any whores come around claiming to be pregnant, they're only lying if they're less than four months." He joked.

Jack couldn't help but laugh. It was short lived as Dalton broke out into another coughing fit. Jack rose from his stool and helped Dalton sit up after hearing the desperate attempts for a breath in. " It's okay, Dalton. It's all gonna be okay." Jack soothed, being the only source of support Dalton had.

About an hour later, Jack informed the crew that the Captain had passed. They buried him in the cemetery of the Port they had tried to reach and stayed until Jack could finally separate himself from Dalton a week later.

He was never right after that. He began drinking to the point where he woke up drunk. He decided he would never make the kind of friend that he had in Dalton again. He would never get close to anyone ever again because he knew he would just lose them in the end.

He couldn't help but feel that if Jonathon had stepped up and taken care of his responsibilities that Jack would never have been a Pirate, and Dalton would never have died so painfully for saving him. For that, Jack would never forgive Jonathon, ever.

Jack did pay the price. He never got close to anyone after that. He stayed withdrawn for the better of them and himself. All until Ana Maria came and saved him from that kind of thinking. Ana taught him it was okay to lose people. She didn't even know it. Ana Maria had no idea who she claimed to be "in love" with.

That didn't bother her either. She had her secrets too.

* * *

Ana Maria woke up to a crying infant in the crib at the end of the bed. She got up to take care of the baby when a sword came flying in from the open window. She dodged back from it, her eyes instantly going to the window to identify their attacker as Morgan's cries became louder from the intensity of the room. Her adrenaline rose as she backed up, trying to get to the side table to grab a gun. She almost had it in her hands when someone came from the closet and grabbed her from behind. 

"Hello, Ana." The male voice greeted. "My, you've grown up."


	20. Not Worth It

A/N: Haven't updated in a while due to computer issues and real life obstructions...

Thanks to J.J. girl, CraziiDani, Hope-W, Peppy87, miss boo, and JohnnyCakesDepp for reviewing the last chapter. Also thanks to the people who read didn't review- at least it is being read.

Special thanks to Hope-W for the inspiration!

* * *

Ana swallowed before exhaling slowly. She recognized the voice. She knew that she had heard it before. She just knew it. She couldn't place it in any of her days on the Black Pearl, was it be before that? 

It had to be.

But where?

"It's good to know that you remember." He whispered in her ear, resting a heavy hand on her shoulder and causing her to tense. "It's been a long time."

Her eyes darted over to the sword that was still securely punched into the wall of her bedroom. She studied the blade, paying particularly close attention to the handle of the sword and the small symbols embodied on it. She noticed the snake curled around a cursive "S', and suddenly realized the man standing behind her. She had seen him draw that symbol a thousand times before.

"Santino.." She whispered breathlessly.

Santino was a friend of hers from the Santa Maria. The Italian boy had always been some what her idol. He was only three years her senior and they had become rather close friends during his time there. He had left when he was fifteen after buying his freedom from Kerry. Santino's uncle had sold him to Kerry when his father died. They had written each other for a few months before he had just fallen off of the face of the Earth. She never thought she would see him again, let alone under these circumstances.

He was her friend; or so she always thought.

"Yes." He said before she felt his gaze shift off of her. "She's definitely yours." He said as his heavy footsteps walked away from her and to the crib where her daughter laid. Ana Maria's heart raced as she heard the footsteps edge away from her and towards the crib. The baby was hiccupping from the heavy crying she had done a few moments before as she slowly stopped when Santino approached her. Ana was frozen as she turned around and watched him. He gently reached into the crib and picked up the infant, studying her features.

"Her father, Cubano, no?" He asked her, his Italian accent drenching his words.

"No." She told him, slowly reaching for the gun in the open drawer so she didn't catch his attention. "European."

"Frenchese, most likely." He said as he put her back in her crib. When he turned to Ana she had a gun pointed at his face.

"What are you doing here, Santino?" She asked from behind the gun.

"Go ahead and put the gun down, Ana." He said, his voice unwavering despite the gun that was clutched strongly in Ana's hand. "You don't want to kill me."

"You're right. I don't." She said as she slowly cocked it. The sound chillingly echoed in the room. The noise sounded like someone was cracking their knuckles loudly. "Tell me why you're here."

"Know that if you shoot me, la mia padrino, outside will kill your daughter and only then will they kill you." He told her in a confident and dark voice.

She paused for a second, but not because of the threat. It had been a long time since she had heard Italian words, but if she remembered correctly "Padrino" meant friend of money and "Amico" meant closely regarded. He had been hired for this.

"You say "padrino." Who are you working for?"

"Si, that I did say." He said coyly. "-but I cannot say who has paid me."

"Are they after me or Jack?" She asked, angrily. He had been her friend but she would never let him hurt Jack or Morgan.

"Ne." He said. "Neither, Ana."

"Who then?" She asked, her index finger curling around the trigger of the gun.

"Your baby." He told her. He abruptly yanked down one of the white curtains. He quickly pushed her down on the ground in it, blinding her. She shot at him immediately after realizing the words were "Your baby." She felt a strong hand jerk the gun from her. She struggled with the curtain. She desperately tried to get out of it when she heard the sound of someone lifting Morgan from her cradle.

She heard the sounds of a man saying a soft prayer before she heard a gun shot. "I am sorry, Ana Maria." He apologized.

The stunning feeling she felt did well to numb most of the pain from her gunshot wound. Santino had shot her. Her hands instantly traveled down her body in search of the wound as she had finally gotten out of the curtain. She felt the blood spill from her knee as she tried to stand.

All though the initial wound had been nearly painless the pain she felt now was twice as much. She let out a cry of pain as she collapsed back onto the floor.

She suddenly remembered the noise of someone lifting Morgan from the cradle and looked over to see it abandoned.

It had been over in a split second. Her daughter had been stolen and she had been powerless to prevent it. Her fear level rose dramatically as her heart dropped into her stomach. He had her baby.

Kerry ran into her room and bent down next to her. He scooped her into his arms and cradled her head. "Ana, what happened?"

"He's got her." She said as the tears fell. "Santino..."

"Santino?" He asked. He looked over to the open window past the abandoned cradle. He had never trusted Santino Buscemi.

He was selling things that weren't his to sell. He stole from Ports that they stocked up at. Kerry had lost a lot of money protecting the boy. Kerry believed that just given the chance he would turn around for the better. It never happened. If you confronted Santino about his behavior he would get defensive about the allegation. He would swear to Kerry that it was legitimate. He would lie and say he had bought it from its real owner or that they had given it to him as a gift. Kerry wanted to believe him. He just never did. Not even in the first instance it had happened. He knew deep in his gut that Santino was guilty.

Eventually Santino decided that Kerry was standing in between him and his freedom.

He handed Kerry twelve-hundred silver pieces in exchange for his right to be called a free man. Kerry made the trade in the name of getting rid of the thieving boy. He never imagined that he would see him again, let alone under these conditions.

"Santino." He growled.

* * *

Santino ran as fast as he could just as soon as his feet had hit solid ground. He couldn't afford for his old Captain to come after him. He had used his last shot on Ana to keep her from pursuing him and although the Captain had aged it wouldn't be too difficult for him to take Santino out. He hadn't wanted to do this. It was the original plan that another man take the baby and he would be there as a distraction. They had set it up that way until a messenger came that night and told them there was a change of plans. Santino was working for an organization that had the intention to bring Jack Sparrow down in the name of Bradenson. He didn't know Jack Sparrow and had only heard the rumors of Bradenson's adventure. 

He had the baby as he had been instructed to and now he was off to find the two Cuban men that would be waiting for him at the docks. They were waiting with a ship and with the next instructions in order to secure his payment of twelve-hundred gold pieces.

He wasn't sure if money was worth what he had just done. All he knew was that he couldn't take it back now. He had to press forward with the plans.


	21. Gunshot Affects

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I know updates are getting few and far between but I'm trying to get up to speed!**

* * *

Once Ana Maria got her bearings back, she felt instant anger and hatred run through her veins.

Santino, a man that had once been her best friend, had stolen her child right in front of her. He had taken Morgan right in front of her and she had been powerless. Powerless to stop him and powerless to prevent it from happening. She got up and went outside, hoping that there would be some sign of which way he had gone or where he was headed. The longer she took to find him the more opportunity she gave to him to do all sorts of harm to Morgan and that was something she would not tolerate.

She heard Kerry yelling at her from the background but wasted no time in listening to his warnings. She knew Santino better than Kerry. She knew more about his behaviors and about his personality that he ever did. She would find him. When she did by God she'd murder him ruthlessly like he should have done to her while he had the chance.

The fact that she could barely move her right leg would not stop her. She had to stop Santino from whatever he intended to do. As a friend she couldn't allow him to and most definitely, as a mother, not to her own child.

"Ana Maria! You can not go after him the way you are! If he doesn't kill you the infection from that gunshot will!" Kerry's baritone voice called out to her.

She turned around, all too aware of her wounded knee. "What would you have me do, Kerry?! Let him escape with my daughter?!" She accused the old man.

"No, of course not." He told her in a calming tone. "I want you to stay here. I'm gonna go have a chat with that Townsend fellow and we'll go after Santino." He explained. "Ana. You have to use your head. You can't just go after him, not in your condition. It'll kill you and I know that you know that. Then no one can help that child."

She stopped to consider his words. Dying?

Santino was a complex person. He was sneaky and he was good at making people believe whatever he wanted them too. A real charmer, he was. People like that were completely dangerous and capable of anything. She knew him better but Kerry knew him well enough. Kerry had raised him just as he had raised her. Kerry had also spent a good amount of years hunting Pirates and Raiders; Santino would be nothing. Kerry could handle anything.

"Okay." She agreed reluctantly.

"-After we meet up with Sparrow. If we're to have any luck, we'll need some help."

"Jack left with his father! God knows where they are! You'll never find them!" She cried, hitting him a few times out of her frustration and worry, not to hurt him.

"It's the only way, " He told her soothingly, wrapping his arms around her. "I know you love her." He whispered. "I know she means the world to you, darlin', and I promise I'm going to do everything I can to get her back to you safe."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Kerry had left with Mr. Townsend and Ana was left sitting in her kitchen. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.


	22. Not What It Seems

**A/N: I know that this is short, but I felt an obligation to update this. I've put all my other work on hold until this fic is finished, so hopefully things will be moving along.**

Kerry looked out towards the ocean, knowing that Jack Sparrow had to be out there somewhere. Sparrow had only left two days before, and while it was still a long shot, it wouldn't be impossible to catch up to him. They had left in the Elder Sparrow's boat and it hadn't been anything built for massive speed like the Black Pearl had. Kerry silently thanked whatever deity was listening that the Pearl was laying on the bottom of the ocean. She had been a beast. She outran everything the British navy had to offer and that gave the Pirate's aboard that great ship the feeling of being above the law. Being above the law made even the wisest man into a stupid fool within a matter of months. He knew that from experience.

He heard Townsend's footsteps approaching him and he turned around to face the man.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked.

"Of course. Shoot."

"Do you honestly think that we'll be able to catch this man? The one who took Morgan?" He inquired seriously.

Kerry sighed. Santino had been somewhat of a rash decision maker, but he never did something with a fool's heart. He planned everything out well, even when he had been caught. It was what puzzled Kerry about this situation. He had absolutely nothing to gain by taking Morgan. There was nothing particularly powerful about this child. She wasn't an heir to a family with a fortune. The only way he could have possibly known she existed was because she was Ana Maria's baby.

"Of course." He told him, not wanting him to lose hope. "I know the boy, he's not the brightest."

"If you're sure." He muttered, walking up the stairs.

"Do you not believe me?" Kerry accused the other man. He could hear the doubt in his voice.

" 'Not the birghtest', doesn't accomadate his ability to sneak into my shop with several people there and not have any witness as to which way he went." Mr. Townsend condradicted. "I honestly think that you're under estimating him."

"That's a possibility, but I'm sure that he's not too smart to get away from a manhunt. He's never had to before and if history proves faithful, Santino couldn't handle things he'd never experienced before."

* * *

Santino ran down the alley behind Mr. Townsend's shop and jumped into a rowboat as soon as he hit the shore. He didn't exhale unitl his feet were planted firmly on the fisherman's ship that they had rented for this exact reason. The baby in his arms started to get fussy from all of the movement, so he bounced her softly to calm her down as he tried to level his breathing from the excertion. 

"It's okay." He soothed as best he could. "I'm not gonna hurt you, little girl." He told her as if she would be able to understand.

"Vere's the drop off vat?" One of his partner's asked.

"Sparrow's asked for us to bring this baby to the island that's he's taken his son to." He reminded. "He's paid a pretty penny for the both of them unharmed."

"Wonder vhat he vants for a child and an old pirate." The partner wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but we need to get away from this city. We have to be there before sun down or Johnathon will have kittens."


	23. Past Demons

Jack leaned over the panel of the ship, feeling very nauseous and unnerved. He couldn't understand why he felt so ill at sea. They'd been out for three days and it was only now that he felt any aliment. His symptoms didn't match sea-sickness, but something else. His whole body felt like it had a lump in its throat. He felt like something was wrong somehow.

He heard Jonathon's muted laughter in the background. "Sea sick, are we?"

Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes. The man seemed to taunt him. Sea-sickness was an insult to a pirate. Pirates didn't get sick from the same thing they craved. It was like getting sick from breathing, it just didn't happen. Jack couldn't remember a time where he had been sea-sick. He remembered getting alcohol poisoning and being sick for two weeks straight, but never sea-sickness.

"No." He retorted. "Don't you have somebody else to bother?"

"We'll be there in about two and a half days." He reported. "You'll be surprised about how the place has changed."

"I doubt it." He managed to say clearly before his stomach did a one-eighty.

Johnathan thought briefly about his son's doubtful nature, wondering if Jack had been on to him yet. He hadn't originally planned to kidnap the baby girl that Jack had fathered, but he had to do something. Jack was too far gone to be changed into the person he ideally wanted his treasure to be secured to, but the infant wasn't. He could raise her to be a moralistic woman, unlike the person she would be if Jack and the pirate-whore he called his first mate raised her. It was his last-ditch effort to correct the Sparrow bloodline.

* * *

Ana felt like she was about to lose her mind. She was going crazy, thinking about all of the possibilities of what could happen to her baby while Santino had her. She had no idea where he was or what he intended to do and that was the most terrifying thing she had ever felt. Morgan was only four and half months old. She couldn't survive long without nourishment that Santino had no way to provide to her. She couldn't understand why he had taken her in the first place. He had nothing to gain. No way of making any profit or political statement. No rational reason once so ever. That realization made her sick with nerves. 

She kept wanting to go outside into the town and look for him. She hoped that she could possibly catch him buying supplies or something there, but knew that he was long gone by now. Kerry and Mr. Townsend were her only hope if she ever hoped to get her beloved child back.

She sat at the table, running her fingers through her hair nervously. She had no idea what to do with herself. If she were alone she'd most likely go and do something in town to keep her hands busy, but she couldn't. She was keeping an eye on Thomas who was more realistically keeping an eye on her. The baby boy's eyes had peeled away from her in hours.

"Don't worry, Ms. Maria." He'd tell her. "Daddy and Mr. Davidson'll find her. Y'know, Daddy's good at finding things." He then derived into a story about how Mr. Townsend had found a hacky-sack that Thomas had lost. She loved him for trying to reassure her and get her mind onto something else, but it didn't work at all. It just reminded her about how sketchy the situation was entire. As if things couldn't get worse, there was a knock on at the door.

"I'll get it!" Thomas exclaimed as he bolted for the door.

She normally would have stopped him, but let him get it. She wasn't sure if she could even physically stand.

"Ms. Maria!" He called. "Someone wants you!"

She groaned as she forced herself up and walked to the door. She couldn't believe that of all days somebody would come to her door to bother her with some unimportant thing. "Who is it?" She asked him before her eyes fixed on the visitor.

The Singapore Navy.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." They greeted. "Are you Ana Maria?"

"Who wants to know?" She asked respectfully, grabbing Thomas by his arm and pulling his behind her protectively.

"We're gonna have to ask you to come with us." They told her. "You've been subpoenaed by the British Crown."

"For what?" She asked unbelievingly.

"Doctor James Johnathan Jones is set to hang in a week. His defense has finally raised their appeal and you've been summoned by the King to re-provide your statement." They explained handing her the papers that accompanied the law in Britain. "Now, if you'll please? We have a long trip to make."

She thought for a brief moment, looking between Thomas and the soldiers. She knew that they wouldn't accept a written statement if she had been directly asked for by the King of Britain for a court trial. They would also, if necessary, would take her by force and leave Thomas behind, assuming his father would be home soon to tend to him. She would have to willingly, despite the fact the world was falling down around her. They would be back in no time once she gave her statement. Her side of the story was completely stone. No one could deny that she had been attacked and the people of Britain took that very seriously. She also had a personal vendetta against the man who dared call himself a doctor. She wanted to make sure that he hung for his attempt on both hers and Morgan's lives. If not for that, she probably would have struggled.

"You know I have to take my son with me, right?" She asked, holding Thomas close to her side.

"Yes ma'am." They told her, stepping aside to let her and Thomas through.


	24. Islands Harbor Terror

Jack stepped on to island land three days later. True to his prediction, the place looked like it had been frozen in time.

The palm trees, the white sand, everything was in the exact place as it was almost ten years ago. He breathed in the sweet island air, glad to be away from Singapore and the dinginess of the town. He held his arms out to the wind as a gentle breeze floated through the air. His spirit felt lifted as his heart lightened. Jack felt like a pirate again.

He followed Jonathon towards the cavern where the loot had been hidden for generations. He knew the footsteps, the combinations, everything that he needed for easy access. It felt like clockwork. Once he helped the older Sparrow secure the treasure he could take his cut and return to Ana Maria. She'd be more than happy to accept him back once he proved that he could provide for the three of them. After all, Morgan and Ana were his life now.

"Be careful through here. There are plenty

"-of snakes. I know." He said, brushing off Jonathon's warning.

"One question, Jack." He asked. "In all those years you submitted to piracy, how come you never lifted the Sparrow's treasure?"

"You obviously weren't that worried about me gettin' a hold of it if you left it here." Jack told him, eluding the question entirely.

"Because if I had, then it would have proved that I'd given up on you." He said in a paternal tone.

"Well if that would have symbolized it for you, maybe you should have." Jack spat. "If takin' the treasure from me would have made you accept you're the most vile man on the planet then you should have done in years ago."

"As the sayin' goes, son. The apple never falls far from the tree." He said, pressing forward towards the hidden loot.

"Head games are child's play, Jonathon." He said, playing into the bravado he'd used for years. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of preying on his fear of doing Morgan wrong. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve anything but a painful death and Jack could think of plenty of people from his childhood that would have loved nothing more than to give it to him.

Suddenly, he heard a sound in the distance. It sounded just like crying, and it was eerily close to Morgan's.

"Do you hear that?" He asked, stopping abruptly in order to listen better.

"Hear what?"

As Jack listened closer, the more he thought that he heard his baby crying. He didn't know how it was possible, Morgan was miles away in Singapore with Ana. He didn't know what was wrong, but he sensed something wasn't right. Jack had stayed up through merciless nights with Morgan. He knew the sound of her crying better than his own heart beat. If it wasn't her, he knew that it had to be another infant on the island.

"That crying. Have people takin' up residence here?"

"No, of course not. You're hearing things." Jonathon dismissed.

"You can't tell me that you don't hear that." Jack persisted.

"Jack!" He berated. "Drop it already, would you?!"

Jack nearly jumped at his tone. Jonathon hadn't raised his voice to Jack in nearly twenty years when he ran away. Jack spotted three figures rise over the side of a sandy dune and his heart stopped when he saw the baby in their arms. It _was_ Morgan. He knew it.

"I told you to stay low until we got there." Jonathon told them, throwing off Jack's sense of reality for good. He didn't know what was truth and what was fiction at this point. Jonathon didn't seem to be surprised by the fact that three strangers stood before them with his granddaughter in their arms. Jack couldn't help but draw a gruesome conclusion.

He was in on it.

* * *

Ana Maria stood before a judge in the British isles, writing down her statement for the court once again. Thomas sat obediently to her left, undoubtedly afraid of the large man that sat in front of them, clad in black robes with a white wig. He waited patiently for her to finish writing, knowing that without her testimony the case would turn in the defendant's favor. As a man of justice, he couldn't tolerate a man willing to attack a pregnant woman lose on the streets of Singapore.

"I appreciate you coming all of this way, Ms. Maria." He told her appreciatively. "I know that it must have been terribly inconvient."

_"You have no idea." _Ana thought. "You're welcome, your honor." She said as sweetly as she could manage.

Her nerves were making her sick, and being in a court room as a former pirate didn't make it any easier. She just wanted to go back home, hoping that Jack would be there waiting for her with Morgan in his arms. If she lived through this she vowed that she'd never let Morgan out of her sight again.

"Now, Ms. Maria, I just want to make sure that you're informed. You'll be required to present yourself at the trial, correct?"

She froze. "What?" She asked him. "No. Sir, I can't. I have an infant back home." She pleaded with the judge.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Maria. It's necessary." He said solemnly.

The pirate in her wanted to tell the entire court to go straight to hell. She didn't need this. It wasn't her fault that the prosecutors of Britian couldn't manage to charge James Jonathan Jones with an attempt on her life. She didn't ask for their justice, for years she had provided her own. Her daughter needed her and she was stuck in a British court room.

* * *

"W-What's going on here, gentlemen?" Jack asked, a false civility in his voice that any pirate could detect.

As if on cue, all three of them stepped out of the shadows and Jack got a good look at them. A man of French descent stood to the far right, running his fingers over his pistol in case there became a need for it. The Italian man next to him had Morgan in his arms, cradling her comfortingly to his chest in an effort to keep the infant calm. Jack's eyes were glued to his baby, his paternal instincts attempting to drive him to do something stupid.

For once he was glad that he'd been a pirate longer than he'd been a father.

"You look good, Jack." A Cuban accent complimented. Jack snapped out of it, realizing that he'd heard the voice before. He searched his memory, but nothing cleared up the stigma. Jack looked him over and over again, wondering why this man looked familiar. Why he sounded familiar. He chuckled "You don't recognize me, do you Jack?" He asked.

He stood about five foot eight and his eyes were dark onyx, reflecting a deep evil intent. He'd seen those eyes a long time ago, but in a much purer sense. They'd been his best friend's eyes. While he wasn't Dalton, this man was a Bradenson. The intentions here were getting clearer by the moment. Whatever they intended to do, it was personal. He wouldn't let them hurt his child in the name revenge. He wouldn't stand for it.

"Refresh my memory, would you?" Jack fished. "I've been hitting the bottle lately." He said, pretending to be disoriented. He had to get the attention focused on him and away from Morgan. He couldn't afford to let them think that Morgan was precious to him, even though she was.

"Oh, I'm sure." He sneered. "I've waited for this moment for years, Jack. To see you like this, tricked, afraid, alone." He taunted. "Like my brother was- when he died."

"What brother?" Jack asked in a ditsy tone.

"Dalton." He reminded solemnly. "Dalton Bradenson. Your _captain_."

"Oh, right." Jack said like the memories had suddenly come back to him. "Well, I'm sorry I can't say that it's good to see you, _George_." Jack told him, slowly grabbing his side arm. "You never were very warm. I'm sure you understand. "

"Don't you lecture me about anything, Jack Sparrow." He interrupted. "You've got no room to say a single word." He said, motioning to the man still holding Morgan.

Suddenly the world seemed a lot less fair as the four of them surrounded Jack. He couldn't believe that Jonathon had stooped this low, and that Jack had let himself believe it. Everytime Jack set out to do something right or to correct something, it all came tumbling down around him.


	25. Hopeless Instinct

Jack's mind was racing. He knew that he had to do something, and quickly be the looks of things. Guns surrounded him along with metal swords and other various wound inflicting weapons. He couldn't get his own pistol out fast enough to shoot before one of them shot him-and he'd be too afraid of accidentally hitting Morgan to attempt it. He didn't understand how things got out of control so quickly.

Why hadn't he listened to his instincts in the bar that night? They told him that this was a bad idea.

"Comm'on, now, gentleman." He started slowly, not wanting to provoke anyone in the crowd against him. "While I do have to applaud the extreme amount of effort that went into this operation-do any of the three of you actually think that this poor son of a bitch is gonna pay you?" He asked, pointing to his father.

He smothered a smile as he watched the three henchmen look at Jonathon with a wondering glance.

"Why wundn't he?" The French man asked. " 'E's got a fortune on this island, does he not?"

Jack nodded. "While that is true, I'm not quite sure that he's the sharing type." He said with a carefully calculated glance in Morgan's direction. She was asleep. He prayed that she'd stay that way until he figured a way out of this for the both of them.

For a split moment he wondered what had become of Ana Maria.

If a hair on her head was out of place when he got back to Singapore-he'd make it his life's mission to kill each and every one of the bastards that stood before him now.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Italian man spoke.

"Santino. Be quiet. Don't listen to _him_." Jonathon disciplined. "He'd say anything to save his own skin."

"No. Many apologies, Jonathon, but that would be you." Jack retaliated before he was able to reign himself back in. "Boys, I've known this man for over twenty years now." He began, addressing the three of them personally without even so much as a wayward glance towards the elder Sparrow. "I can promise you that no matter what happens to me or my daughter- or even you, yourselves, you won't see so much as a bronze piece from that box." He said with a convincing smile that had brought him all he had ever wanted in his piracy days.

"Jonathon's right." George defended, slipping thee brass plated bullets into the chamber of his pistol. "Jack will say anything."

"And what is it that you're so mad about, little Georgie?" He questioned the little brother of his best friend abruptly, taking a step forward to throw off his senses, just enough so he wouldn't shoot immediately. "You've got no idea what happened to your big brother. You weren't even there when poor Dalton lost his life. I was."

"Don't you say a single word about my brother, Jack Sparrow! If it weren't for you, he'd still be alive, home in Coresta." He cursed at Jack.

Jack looked at the young man oddly for a moment. He had so much of Bootstrap Jr. in him that it was uncanny. He could of sworn he'd heard the exact same argument come from William about his own father's honor with so little fact. He would never understood how it came about that people thought they knew someone just by being related to them.

"You've got no idea what Dalton would have done if he'd stayed in Coresta, poor boy. He'd have painted it red and burned it down to rubble and ash." He said with a hint of humor to his voice, despite the tense situation.

He couldn't help but smirk. Dalton would have died laughing at the thought of George defending him at gunpoint. He'd been so young when they'd originally left-Jack was surprised he'd even remembered Dalton at all.

Unless, Dalton's uncle had filled his head with false information about how it was that Dalton died. Which could have plausibly happened. And with that anger that George would have toted through out his entire boyhood- he met up with his charming bastard father-who persuaded the impressionable youth into an assassination plot on Jack.

"Who told you that Dalton was dead, Georgie?" Jack plundered.

"Well, Tio Saul, of course." George answered as if it had been the stupidest question he'd ever been asked. "You sent him the letter." He accused.

"Yes. " He confirmed. "About how brave Dalton was- and that he died doing what he loved and around friends. I wish you'd actually known your brother. If you did, you'd know the difference, and that every word that came out of Saul's mouth was lie." He told George sympathetically.

The look of confusion in George's eyes was enough to banish all anger from Jack that had been directed at the young Cuban.

Suddenly, before George could respond- the loud explosion of a gun went off, and George fell to the ground in a bloody mess. Jonathon stood behind him- gun still aimed at where George had once stood. His face had lost all common decency-leaving behind an awful-angry gaze-directed straight at Jack.

"I don't know how in God's name you corrupt people so quickly, Jack." He seethed. "-and I don't care to find out." He turned around towards the remaining two hired associates. "Now, you two." He confronted, aiming the gun at them both.

Jack's adrenaline spiked as Jonathon pointed his pistol at the Italian man holding Morgan. He'd just shot a young Cuban man- there was no stopping him from shooting a man holding a baby.

"-Start up the mountain. If so much as a word is uttered towards Jack's general direction-you'll wind up like this unfortunate kid." He said, giving George's corpse a rough kick.

Santino and the French man, who was still unnamed, were fear frozen for what seemed like an eternity. Jack was so afraid that Santino would screw up and get himself shot while he was holding Morgan.

Jack understood their fear though. Jonathon Sparrow was loose cannon-unpredicatable. Nobody conceived that he'd shoot George.

Not even a pirate would go so far as to shoot an innocent man. A guilty one, yes. A thieving one, yes. An annoying one, yes. But never an innocent one.

Without a word, they all three headed up the mountain at gun point.

* * *

Mr. Charles Townsend and Captain Kerry Davidson had made a port outside of Tortuga- approximately three days after they had left Singapore. They'd had absolutely no results since they'd left, and it left them feeling very discouraged.

"You said that you'd have him by now, Mr. Davidson." Mr. Townsend commented, rubbing the back of his neck sorely. He was getting too old for this. It'd been a decade since he'd been out in open water.

"I said that I _expected_ to have him by now, Mr. Townsend. And it's _Captain_ Davidson." He corrected.

"Well, that twisted freak is still on the run with Morgan- and we're empty handed. We have no idea where Sparrow is-

"Are you always this pessimistic?" Kerry interrupted. "I swear. I brought you with me to help me, not bring me down." He told him. "I could have brought anybody for that."

"There's a difference between pessimism and realism." He clarified.

"And you clearly have not found it yet." He said lowly.

* * *


	26. Situations

Jack led the group headed up the mountain. He'd been instructed by Jonathon to keep his back turned, and if he even so much as tried to look back, he would blow Santino to bits-and Morgan along with him.

Jack did as he was instructed. He looked forward and kept his back stiff so he wouldn't be tempted to turn around. He knew exactly where to go to find the buried treasure, as if it had been installed into him since his birth.

He was so worried about Morgan behind him. It took every ounce of his self-control to not look back and check on her. He had never in his life felt so unsettled. His captor was asking him to trust Morgan to the man that had stolen her from her mother in the first place.

He'd never hated someone so strongly as he hated the man that had pressed a gun to the back of George's head. He'd always disliked Jonathon for what he endured as a child, but now it had been transformed into a strong, burning hate. He'd gone as far as threatening his daughter and Jack wasn't going to take that lightly. Of everything he'd endured throughout his life--of all the betrayals and the back-stabbings--he'd never, ever felt like he did right now. This wasn't even about the two of them anymore-- innocent people had been drawn into it. Morgan had been drawn into it.

Of all the people he'd killed in his lifetime--he'd never shot a child.

"Tell me something, Jonathon!" He called to the back of the line, being very careful to not turn his back or neck.

"Yeah? What is it, son?" He asked, panting lightly from the physical exertion.

Jack tightened his fists as he heard Jonathon call him "son". He knew that Jonathon was taunting him. He wanted another excuse to kill, and Jack would not be the one to give it to him. If he had his way about it, there'd be an opportune moment where Jonathon would wind up the same bloody heap that George was now.

"Did you ever love Estelle?" He asked. He was trying shamelessly to buy more time until he could think of a good and safe plan to kill the bastard holding his baby girl hostage.

"In a different time. When she and I both were different people, yes." He called back. Jack heard the soft chuckle that revealed that he was onto his game. "You know, your whore back in Singapore reminds me a lot of your mother."

Jack set his jaw and exhaled slowly. Even before Morgan was born, he never stood well for people to call Ana Maria names like those. She was one of the few women he'd ever met that had respect for themselves. It was what had originally attracted him to her, aside from her fighting spirit. He could not retaliate. For Morgan, he would not retaliate.

"Are you sure it was Estelle? The last time you saw her was what, twenty-two, twenty-three years ago?" He asked with a snide smile. " A lot of women and a lot of alcohol can blur the best of images."

"Trust me, Jackie." He reassured. "You never forget that kind of relationship."

"Yeah it is hard to forget someone that hateful, I agree." Jack told him. "What do you think she'd say if she knew that you pointed a gun at me and at her granddaughter?"

"Oh! She'd shoot me, no doubt!" He said with a small laugh. "You never gave her enough credit, drunkard though she was, she was hell when it came to protecting you from dange-

The sentence was abrupted by a loud, rash, ear-splitting ring of a gun-shot. Jack immediately covered his ears and hit the ground, but still didn't turn around. He wanted to, was dying to, but he didn't. He wouldn't risk it until he knew exactly who it was that had been unfortunate enough to meet the other end of the barrel.

The next three seconds were the longest seconds of Jack's life until he finally heard Morgan crying. He felt relief wash over him. If she was crying, she was still alive.

"You're damn right Estelle would have shot you." A familiar voice whispered, almost too low to be heard. "Bastard."

"Davidson?" Santino's voice asked. "_Cap'n_ Davidson?"

"Give me that child." Davidson's voice demanded sternly. He heard Santino's breath hitch in his throat as he hesitated. "Now. Santino." He growled.

"Sir, you have to understand-I didn't know what he would do-"

A harsh smack was heard. Jack knew that it was the sound of a fist colliding with Santino's face. "Shut up, boy!" He told him harshly. "I swear to God, you don't know anything! You're as worthless as you always were! You shot Ana, for Christ sakes! Do you really expect me to believe that you were innocent in this whole thing?"

Jack's heart froze. "He what?" He asked mutely.

Suddenly Mr. Townsend was in front of him, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's over, Sparrow. We got him." He told him, helping him up.

"Where's Ana?" He finally forced himself to ask. He hated the way his voice sounded. It squeaked with terror.

"She's fine." He told him. "She's at Singapore, watching, watching Tom. Santino winged her, so we could-couldn't bring her with us." He explained weakly. As Jack got a closer look at him, he noticed how dehydrated and pale he looked. He looked like he would pass out at any moment. Jack watched him suspiciously for a moment or two when his knees finally buckled out from under him. Jack managed to catch the old man before he hit the ground.

"Woah." He exclaimed as the full of the man's weight leaned into him. "You okay, old man?" Jack asked, as he tapped his pale cheeks lightly. "Come on. Stay with me. Don't pass out."

"Charles?" He heard Davidson ask. He rushed over to the other two, carefully cradling Morgan as he put his weight on his knees.

"Do you have any water?" Jack asked his fellow Captain. "He's dying." He informed the other two men as he undid Mr. Townsend's shirt so he could breathe a little easier. The French man was no where to be seen as Jack got a glimpse of his biological father's body lying in the same bloody heap as George was.


	27. To Have and To Hold

**A/N: Well, you guys, it's been an awesome year and a half writing this story. I've come a long way as a writer, especially grammatically, thanks to all of you. With over 100 reviews, Broken Code is by far my most successful story! I have appreciated all of your reviews, most of them make my day! But all good things must come to an end eventually, so I present you with the closing chapter of Broken Code. **

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The ship rocked below Jack's feet as he steadily tried to tie Thomas' bow-- correctly. He was going to be Jack's best man and he couldn't have been more excited. Jack smiled at his antics, continually asking the younger boy to calm down so he could get a handle on what he was doing.

As the bow-tie finally settled against Thomas' neck, Jack realized how much he'd grown in the past year that he'd lived with him and Ana Maria. He'd never been prouder of the boy in front of him as he was now. He didn't think that anything was ever going to revive the boy who'd lost his father as such a crippling young age. Ana Maria kept all of his things in their house that they'd bought with the treasure money, just in case Thomas ever wanted them. He looked through the letters that Charles Townsend had sent him while he was away on trips almost every night as if they were a bed time story.

He was comforted that Ana Maria introduced him to people as her child, but even that was sometimes too much for him to take.

Physically, he grew more into a man every time Jack looked at him. He'd grown about three inches taller in the last year alone. His bright blue eyes seemed to be regaining their purity, as if just for this special event.

He couldn't help but imagine how the older Townsend would have gloated over his boy in dress clothes. God rest his soul. Jack was especially prideful over Thomas' maturity in the current situation.

The role of best man was a lot to ask of a seven year old.

"Jack?" Thomas asked suspiciously.

"Yes?"

"You okay?"

"Of course, I'm not!" He told him dramatically, poking him in the chest. "I'm tying the knot today, why in Jones's name would I be okay?!"

Thomas giggled a little at Jack's famous dramatic flare, rubbing the spot on his chest where Jack's fingers had been. Suddenly his eyes saddened, causing Jack some deep, paternal sense of alarm. He touched Thomas' arm gently, asking for his attention.

"What's the matter, Tommy?" He asked gently, knowing good and well what his answer would be.

"I wish Daddy were here." He murmured. "I miss him."

Jack nodded in agreement. "I know you do." He reassured. " Tell you what? When you and Morgan come home after the honey moon, you and I can go to his cemetery if you'd like."

He looked back at Jack, his eyes looking like crystals because of his tears. "Really?"

"I promise." Jack swore.

While not his, Jack couldn't just let Thomas go to the will of those around him. Not after what he had been through as a child in Coresta. He had one living relative left, Alexandra, and she was the most uncaring woman Jack had ever met. Ana Maria was the first woman in his life to show him any affection, and he couldn't bring himself to take that from either of them. With everything that Charles Townsend had done for both Ana and himself- he owed it to the old man to see after Thomas. It turned out that Thomas was what it took to convince Jack that he wasn't going to become his father.

Suddenly, someone entered the room that had been lent to them as the men's dressing room. Jack turned to see Elizabeth's oldest son, William III, who they all fondly called "Ian"-the last three letters of his name-- for the most part. He'd been dubbed that by Jack the first time he'd seen him when he was at least four years old.

He claimed that William was the most traditional name to come from the King's English, and he needed something more individually suiting. After all, it did mean "Gracious", which fit him since he'd regrettably inherited most of Bootstrap Jr's temperament.

"Mum says the two of you better hurry before Ms. Maria marries somebody else." He reported to Jack.

Jack couldn't help but crack a smile at Lizzie's comment. She sometimes had too much pirate in her, it was no wonder why Will worried.

"Well, you tell your muther that _I_ am Captain Jack Sparrow, and I will marry in my own good time." He told the twelve year old cheerfully. "We'll be out in a minute."

"Have you seen Ms. Maria yet?" Thomas questioned.

Ian nodded, a mischievous, William-like smile appeared on his face. "She looks really pretty." He said as he disappeared outside the door to relay the message to his mother.

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As the ceremony finally began, Jack looked around him to make sure that everything was going smoothly. He saw Gibbs standing in the traditional place of the matron of honor, holding the eighteen month old baby Sparrow. Morgan, who had been dressed by her mother without a doubt, looked so beautiful. She was wearing a light purple ceremonial gown that Ana had found for her. He couldn't help but smirk a bit as he remembered how Ana Maria had searched for months for the exact fabric that matched her vision. She had a crown of white daisies on her head that stood in contrast to her little puffs of dark hair, smiling back at him.

Everyday, Morgan Pearl Maria Sparrow looked more and more like a lighter complexioned Ana Maria. She still had the same bright, soul piercing, ebony eyes she'd inherited from her mother. She'd started walking this year. She was babbling constantly while she was awake, he was sure that any day now she'd say something coherent.

He felt the smile on his face widen as she giggled slightly. His baby girl was the most precious thing on the planet to him. He'd never before coveted something like he had her. He sometimes felt like he didn't deserve her with all of his mistakes. He didn't deserve to be so blessed. She was everything he could have ever wished for in a child. She was the baby he and Ana Maria had together, and to him it made her perfect.

Elizabeth stood next to all of them, wearing her finest evening gown. She'd agreed to marry them. As he looked at her, he remembered everything she'd witnessed, everything she'd endured. Their history was long, complex, and complicated but Jack had never known anybody braver than Elizabeth Swann Turner.

He snapped back into reality when Thomas tapped him and pointed down the isle, where Ana was being escorted by Captain Kerry Davidson. Jack felt his heart stop. The dress she wore fit her perfectly, reflecting the beautiful woman that Jack saw everyday.

Jack was amazed that a simple garment of ceremonial clothing reflected the one woman on the planet that had managed to capture his heart completely.

She smiled nervously at him, almost as if she couldn't believe that this day had come either.

When he'd first succumbed to piracy, he didn't think that he'd ever meet anyone that could ever be able to understand him enough to truly love him. He was too sarcastic, too volatile, too dunk, too sober, too much of anything. Ana Maria had called it a part of his complexity, and at the same time, a part of his simplicity. She was the first person to ever put it into words.

Ana Maria was the first woman, person, friend, or lover, who had ever managed love him, no matter what--and it was no small accomplishment. He would never let someone as amazing as that go again.

Never.

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**_Fin_**


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